There Was a Lion and a Lamb Here
by Komo Pineconeseed
Summary: WIP. OOC. Bella Swan moved to Silent Hill, Washington to be with her father after her mother remarried. There, she met the reclusive Cullen Family who may be connected with Silent Hill's greatest mysteries. Multiple Endings.
1. Chapter 1

There Was a Lion and a Lamb Here (They're Gone Now)

By: Komo Pineconeseed

Disclaimer: Twilight is the copyright of Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown and Company. Silent Hill is the copyright of Konami, Team Silent, Toyama Keiichiro, and Yamaoka Akira. I own neither Twilight nor Silent Hill.

Goal of the story: This is a rewrite of Twilight with Silent Hill elements to make it more interesting: Bella with more of an interesting and realistic personality (which was based off of Heather Mason), and a more realistic relationship between Bella and Edward.

Summary: Bella Swan moved to Silent Hill, Washington to be with her father after her mother remarried. There, she met the reclusive Cullen Family who may be connected with Silent Hill's greatest mysteries.

Warnings: Major spoilers for Silent Hill 1 and 2, minor spoilers for Silent Hill 3 and 4, and minor spoilers for Twilight and arguably New Moon and Eclipse. Out of character.

Rating for Overall Story: M for Mature for Possible Language, Violence, and Religious Themes (SH's Cult Themes). Some parts of this story may be considered violent or cruel.

Rating for this Chapter: T for Teen. Possible Language.

Genre: Parody/Horror

First Arc- Chapter 1

I never made friends easily. For some strange reason, people would shy away from me, and I guess I never bothered to get close to them. I guess my closest friend would be my mom, but even then we'd never been close.

I suppose that's why there was no conversation between the two of us as we sat in Happy Burger in the Phoenix airport. My mom was chatting excitedly to Phil, her new husband, while eating a salad, but she didn't let my attention wander away from her.

"Bella. You don't have to do this."

"Mom," I reply slowly, "I told you already. I'm doing this for me as well as for you. You want to have some time alone with Phil," she opened her mouth to argue, but I continued regardless, "and I want to spend some time with Charlie."

Mom looked at me; her lingering worried expression never left.

"I've never lived with my dad before, Mom, not since you left Forks, and Dad moved to Silent Hill. Mom, I want to go."

She seemed to give up after that. I knew it was only a matter of time before she offered again, however.

"Tell Charlie I said 'hi'."

"I will."

My mom apparently still felt guilty about driving her child away to be with her new husband so she continued with her urging.

"Bella, you can come back anytime if you don't like Silent Hill. I must admit, the town's a bit bigger than Forks and a resort town, so it may be more exciting. But it's so close to Forks, it's got to be as wet and dreary. Sweetheart, you don't remember living in a town that never stops raining, so if you feel depressed, even a little, you can come back home, okay?"

She wanted to be with Phil alone. I knew this. She knew this. Why was she repeating this offer _again_? I didn't want to respond, so I gazed out the window instead.

"Goodbye, honey."

She gave me a hug, and then she ran off to be with her new husband and live her new life. And I was going to meet my father for the first time. With a deep breath, I boarded the plane.

The flight from Phoenix to Seattle was long, but not unbearable. I brought my new laptop with me and spent the majority of the time reading eBooks. I loved classical literature such as books by Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters, although lately I've been reading books by Stephen King and HP Lovecraft. Time flew past, and before I knew it, we arrived in Seattle. And then, after a flight change, the plane arrived in Port Angeles. The trickling of people out the plane felt like forever, but I the minute I walked out the terminal, I saw him.

Charlie Swan. My father.

I had seen pictures of him while I was growing up, but they didn't do his character justice. He was wearing a fedora as well as a beige trench coat over a button-down shirt and tie. Why was he dressed like a detective? I thought he was the police chief. Of course, I was wearing a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt and ratty jeans, so I didn't have any right to criticize anybody else's wardrobe.

My wayward train of thought had started an impromptu staring contest I realized seconds later. Charlie now had a worried expression on his face as if concerned about whether or not his only child would accept him.

"Hey, Dad." I doubt he would have liked being called Charlie to his face.

Charlie's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and I couldn't help but beam back. "Hello, Bella. It's," Charlie paused here as he thought of the correct adjective, "great to finally meet you," he finally decided on.

We didn't speak another word to each other as he helped me find my luggage then move them to his car. We got into his car, and it was somewhere between Port Angeles and Forks, in between the dogwood and cedar as rain splashed on the windshield, I realized that I was more similar to Charlie than I was to Renee. With Renee, the silence would have been awkward, either prompting her to start on a topic neither one of us cared about or inducing her to call up one of her friends to chat. The silence in this cab, in contrast, was peaceful.

Somewhere between Forks and Silent Hill, Charlie broke the silence to speak of an important topic.

"Bella," he started, "I found a good car for you."

I was startled. "Dad," I replied with a snort, "I can't afford a car yet."

"Well, it's not really a car. It's actually a truck. It belonged to Billy Black. I used to go fishing with him. He…" Charlie paused and seemed to struggle with his words after that. "Anyways, his son Jacob sold his car to me really cheap."

"What kind of truck is it?"

"It's a Chevy."

"How old is it?"

Charlie grimaced. "Well…"

I smirked at him. "'Well' isn't a year, Dad."

Charlie looked at me with an analyzing eye. "You're a mouthy one, aren't you? Just like your mother."

I kept silent.

"It was made sometime in the fifties."

"Which means it'll break down sometime soon. Dad, I don't know how to fix cars. Does anybody? Does Silent Hill even have a mechanic?"

Charlie laughed embarrassingly. "Is that what you're worried about? Jacob's good with cars. He's changed the engine and everything. The truck runs fine. In reality, it's a gift from me to you."

That was surprising. He bought me a car. Well, truck. I guess I just wasn't expecting a present.

Gazing outside in contemplation of my new truck, I realized the rain was pouring; Charlie had the wipers going at full speed. Even through the water flowing down the windows, the green of the trees shone. It reminded me of something someone once said; back in freshman year in Phoenix, a Russian girl had recently moved from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. She made the comment that in the Pacific Northwest, one could find every shade of green.

She wasn't kidding. Everything everywhere was some kind of green. It was beautiful and so full of life. But it was so foreign. I don't have any right to complain, though, since I chose to come here. The best I could do now was live with no regrets.

Charlie had pulled off the highway, and soon I saw a sign flash by. "Welcome to Silent Hill", it said. We had arrived at Silent Hill, apparently, a small resort town next to the ocean that was south of Forks and La Push. The town itself was cut in half by the giant Toluca Bay. Entering Silent Hill from the north side of bay had us enter what appeared to be the business district of the town. It had gotten fairly dark, so I had difficulty seeing what kind of shops and businesses kept Silent Hill flourishing. The car bumped around a little as Charlie drove over a creek. We passed by a few more streets before making a right on Bachman Road? I couldn't see the road sign clearly because a slight mist was forming.

Now that I think about it, I couldn't remember it ever misting in Phoenix. The concept of moving to a foreign town was starting to seep over me.

After a few more turns or something, Charlie had pulled up into an alley. He drove all the way up the alley before pulling onto a driveway on the right. The driveway led to a small cozy-looking two bedroom house. What caught my attention was the giant monster parked on the driveway.

THAT was my truck? Whoa. The giant Chevy was a faded rusty orange color, and the bumper of the car looked like it was about to fall off. The rest of the car looked ready to wage war on every little sedan, however. I could easily see myself getting into an accident where my truck would be standing off to the side innocently while the other car would have broke into a million pieces.

Charlie fiddled with the lock before holding the door open for me. I gave a shy smile and hulled in my luggage. A small hallway led into a small living room with a fireplace and Charlie's wedding picture as well as a few pictures of me. Connected to the hallway was a small kitchen fused with a dining room. To the left of living room and kitchen/dining room was a staircase leading to the second floor and a door leading to the backyard. I went up the stairs. There was only one bathroom at the top of the stairs, and the small hallway lead to two bedrooms: Charlie's bedroom and mine. I entered what appeared to be my room. The room contained only a bed and a desk. On one side there was a mirror, which I'll have to cover up; I don't like mirrors. I opened the closet, took out a few clothes hangers, and began to unpack.

* * *

Charlie prepared dinner that night. And by "prepared dinner", he brought take out from a place called Dai Dai Restaurant. At least, that's what it said on the bag. I opened up a box of mushu pork and rice while Charlie fetched forks and plates.

We were halfway through the pork when Charlie took a deep breath and leapt into a topic that was eating at him, apparently. "Bella," he started with a weary sigh, "there's something I didn't your mother or you when you made your decision to come."

I blinked in confusion. "Like a significant other or…?"

"No. It's about a drug trafficking problem."

I laughed. Cut to the chase, did he? "Dad, there's drugs everywhere. Some kids in Phoenix would make fun of some of the smaller cities, saying things like 'the only thing fun there is to smoke pot' and stuff like that. Dad, Mom's already given me this speech. Say no to drugs. I get it."

Charlie gave a tense smile in response to my self-lecture, but chose to ignore it. "The drug's probably something you've never heard of before: White Claudia."

I nodded, never breaking eye contact with Charlie. Growing up in a big city like Phoenix, I was laboring under the impression that I've heard of all of the big drugs. Apparently not.

"It's a very bad psychedelic drug. The police force is stumped to whoever's distributing the thing. We haven't had a clear lead. Every informant who's tried to confess or something all ended up dying in mysterious ways. Some police officers have even died mysteriously, so we haven't figured out anything. Most people are either too scared or here for the drug.

"The reason I'm telling you this, Bella," Charlie seemed to be on a roll he's wanted to go on for ages, "isn't just for you avoid White Claudia. Keep your eyes and ears open. There must be a few lippy teenagers who might let something slip."

I nodded again.

"Also, combine that with the missing people cases that have started over the peninsula," Charlie sighed, "means that I'll be late to dinner some nights. Promise me you'll be careful, Bella."

I nodded again. What else could I have done? I poked at my uneaten pork depressingly.

* * *

I woke up the next day to the sound of rain hitting the roof and windows. The constant pitter-patter was a clear sign that I wasn't in Phoenix anymore. I looked out the window, and a unique blend of grey and green stared back at me. I shuddered.

After showering, brushing my teeth, and dressing, I went to fetch some notebooks and pens. In my hurry to get up, however, I missed some items that appeared on my desk: a pocket radio, a pocket flashlight, a map of Silent Hill, and what appeared to be a stun gun and stun gun batteries. Apparently, Charlie wasn't kidding about being careful. On it was a note that read:

_Bella, the radio's another welcome gift. Sorry I didn't get it to you last night. The pocket flashlight's for your truck. It turns out the cab's light is broken. Here's a map if you get lost. Also, I managed to get a license for the stun gun. Try to keep it on you at all times. –Dad_

"Get a license?" Was it even legal to carry a stun gun in Washington? I didn't think so, but Charlie apparently was going to waive the law to protect his daughter from these imagined threats. Even if the "get a license" part was legit, wasn't it a bit excessive? Silent Hill's a cute little resort town! I put the flashlight, the radio, and the map into my backpack and wisely left the stun gun on the desk.

Walking out the front door, I looked across the street, and I saw a giant "Beware of Dog" sign on our across-the-street neighbor's fence. I had to chuckle at that. I hadn't seen or heard anything that suggested the family owned a dog.

After rushing to the truck's cab to avoid the rain, I tried to turn on the truck's radio, but it appeared to be broken, so I turned on my pocket radio. It was set to one of the local stations that frequently broadcasted NPR programs. I got a feeling of déjà vu. Back in Phoenix, the two AP American Government and Politics teachers would get into class competitions. The winning class got bragging rights and free pizza. I decided not to change the station.

After analyzing the map of Silent Hill, I recalled something that Charlie said to me. Silent Hill was divided into four districts with three districts north of the bay and one south. The three districts north of Toluca Bay were Old Silent Hill, the district where Charlie and I lived, Central Silent Hill, the business district that Charlie drove past last night, and the Resort Area, the district directly north of the bay and south of the Old Silent Hill and Central Silent Hill. Apparently the Resort Area had an Oceanside Amusement Park, a lighthouse, and an Ocean View Hotel. Driving from Old Silent Hill, south onto Sandford Street, then turning on Nathan Ave would lead me to the final district of Silent Hill, South Silent Hill. Driving south in South Silent Hill on one of the streets, Munson Street, would lead me to Silent Hill High School.

In other words I lived in the most northern point in Silent Hill, and my high school was located in the most southern point in Silent Hill. With gas so expensive, this was going to be a fun trip. I got into my truck and started the engine. I almost took out the "Beware of Dog" sign, before driving out of the little alley and onto Finney Street. Making a right on Finney Street, I turned onto Bachman Road.

* * *

There were a few times in life where I was forced to eat my words, and I guess that was one of them. Driving down Bachman Road and turning on Nathan Ave had me driving with the ocean close on my right side. It was an exhilarating experience. The sound of the ocean was something I hadn't experienced before, especially in a rain storm, and the salty smell wafted in through the slight broken right window. It was scary—the thought that I might lose control of the truck due to the rain and drive straight into the ocean.

Making a right onto Munson Road, I noticed a Rosewater Park on the left. The park overlooked the ocean, and I knew I wanted to spend some time at the park someday. I could see why Silent Hill was a popular resort town. The place was so quaint and peaceful.

I made my way to a parking lot close to Silent Hill High School. Most of the people going here grew up together and knew each other their whole lives. Would they welcome or shun me? I never made friends easily. That's what made saying goodbye to Phoenix easier than it should have been.

The school was made of several buildings, all a nice maroon brick color. The first building had a sign that said "Front Office." I took a deep breath and walked in. Sitting at the front desk was a middle aged woman. She was dressed nicely and had unnaturally red hair, and when she looked at me, her facial expression changed into a giant creepy smile.

"Hello, dear," she cooed at me like I was some kind of new born puppy, "You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?"

"Bella," I corrected with an awkward smile, "and yes, I am."

"Well, Bella," she spoke with a fake serious tone, "Your father has already registered you for your classes." She smiled, looking distinctly frog like now. "Here's a map of the school in case you get lost. And here's your list of classes." I glanced at the schedule: Literature, Trigonometry, Spanish, Art, Biology, and Physical Education. I thanked the secretary—Mrs. Cope was her name—, got a "Welcome to Silent Hill High School, dear" with a frog smile, and went off to find my first class. I opened the door and saw buildings that looked exactly the same. I hadn't made it a foot away from a building, and I was already lost.

I was walking around in circles, desperately trying to find my first course when I bumped into a person. My schedule and map flew out of my hands and landed somewhere nearby. The person I knocked into helped me gather up the papers. He was an Asian boy with an emo haircut that did not match the smile that suddenly appeared on his face.

"Hey. You're the new girl. Isabella, right?" he asked.

It appeared I was going to have to correct everybody at the school regarding my name.

"Yeah. And it's Bella."

"Hi," he greeted me again while grabbing my hand in an arm shake, "My name is Eric. I'll be your tour guide for the week."

I laughed awkwardly. He still hadn't let go of my hand.

"Where to?" he asked. This was getting awkward to the point it was funny. At least nobody was around to stare which was probably because we were both super late.

"Um, my first class is American Literature."

A smile that I thought couldn't get larger got larger. "What a co-inky-dink," Eric drawled, "that's my first class too!"

Even though the tone of that statement should have been used for someone who won the lottery, I ignored that tidbit to ask, "Can you help me find it?" Wordlessly, but still with the giant goofy smile, he lead me to building with a giant "3" painted on the east corner. He opened the door for me and interrupted the teacher in the middle of a lecture. The teacher started to glare at us before stopping suddenly.

"You must be Isabella Swan." Yep, I was going to correct everybody about my name.

"Yeah. And it's Bella." Somebody should start recording the number of times I was going to say that this morning. The teacher gave me a slight smile before turning to frown at Eric.

"Mr. Yorkie, go to your seat now."

"Yes, sir!" Charlie had to be right about the drug trafficking. There was no other explanation for somebody would be THAT cheerful after getting ordered by a teacher.

"Ms. Swan, you may sit there." He pointed to an empty seat. I made my way over to it as quickly as I could without tripping. I became very clumsy when I get nervous.

The teacher started passing out a syllabus. Apparently, I joined the school right during a semester change. That should have made things a little bit easier.

Mr. Berty, the syllabus said, would be teaching high school junior level American literature. Most of the books we would be reading—Catcher in the Rye, Grapes of Wrath, The Great Gatsby, and The Crucible— were books I already read in my spare time. There was only one book, The Things They Carried, that I hadn't read before. This meant taking active reading notes would only be harder since I already knew what was going to happen in the stories. On the other hand, noticing symbols, motifs, and themes for critical analyses should be easier since I knew what to look for. When in doubt, I guess I could always use SparkNotes with my new laptop.

Mr. Berty continued on, and before I knew it, literature flew by. Finding my next courses became consistently easier to find as I started to memorize the map. And before I knew it, lunchtime came.

The cafeteria of Silent Hill High School was one large rectangular room. Off to one side was a row of vending machines with a surprising long line leading to each one. One of the walls adjacent to the vending machines was an a la carte line. The main lunch line was right next to the a la carte line, and was the shortest line, so I went up to it. I grabbed a Top Ramen Soup and half a PB and honey sandwich. I smiled as I spotted some grapefruit juice. At least there was some solace to be found here.

After purchasing my food and adding water to the ramen, I took my tray over to where Eric was waving. He sat with a group of other people, some of whom I swear I've had classes with.

"Hey," Eric greeted. I smiled at him as the other students sitting at the table stared at me. A blond spiky haired boy spoke up, "You're Isabella, right?"

"Yeah, and it's Bella." Yes, Reader. Count how many times I've had to say that already. Count.

"You're, like, from Arizona, right?" A pretty brunette asked, interrupting my thoughts. I nodded. "Then, why are you, like, so pale?"

"I guess I'm part albino," I joked. Why were these people even talking to me? Was it because I was new?

"I'm Jessica," the brunette offered. "He's Mike," she gestured to the blond spiky haired boy. "And this is Angela," she waved at a girl with short dark hair. Angela stuttered a greeting at me, and I smiled back, waving my plastic fork at her. Eric and Mike snickered, Angela shyly smiled, and Jessica just looked shocked. Distracting myself, I took the lid off of my grapefruit juice, smiling to myself. Even in this foreign land, at least some things remained consistent.

I looked up at a table opposite mine. What I saw shocked me.

There were five people sitting there, five really gorgeous and out of place people. There was a very beautiful tall blonde woman and a buff brunet man. Next to them sat this tiny girl who looked as if she took a half blunt blade to all of her inky black hair. Her wide eyes stared into nothing. Next to her sat this blond haired man who clearly wanted to be anywhere but here if the pinch between his eyebrows and curl of his upper lip had anything to say. And last, there sat a boy who looked like to be a part of the group based on appearance but not interaction. He was a beautiful boy with a sharp jaw and red tousled hair. His sharp straight nose and gorgeous thin lips intensified every expression he had to the point of perfection.

Every expression which included complete snobbish boredom, the expression he was currently radiating. Judging from the clothes he and the other four wore plus the way they poked around their untouched food with disgust in their eyes, the five were probably insanely rich and snobby. Great. I thought I escaped rich snobs when I left Phoenix.

But you know, and Renee has pointed this out too, I've always been too curious for my own good. Who were these people? Why were most of them college age? Why weren't they eating? Why buy food if they weren't going to eat it? Why the hell weren't they skipping if they were so bored out of their freakin' minds? (Yes, they were bored. The redhead had started counting the cracks on the ceiling.) While these people clearly gave the message they wanted to be left alone with their existence barely mentioned, I just couldn't help but know, couldn't help but ask.

"So, who are they?" I asked, vaguely waving to the table in front of me. Eric's and Mike's smiles became strained, and Jessica snickered.

"Oh, you mean the Cullens." I smiled and nodded slowly.

"Angela, how would _you_ describe the Cullen Family?" Before Angela could speak, however, Jessica the brunette jumped back into the topic, "They're Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's foster kids. Dr. Cullen is the head director and head surgeon at Alchemilla Hospital in Central Silent Hill and a board member at Brookhaven Hospital in South Silent Hill. He and Mrs. Cullen are extremely religious. Mrs. Cullen is the head bishop at Balkan Church.

"The blonde haired girl, that's Rosalie Hale. She, like, has a thing with her foster brother Emmett Cullen. You know, the big buff guy?"

"Yeah," I replied, "how old is he?"

Jessica looked shocked at the question. "What do you mean?"

You mean, besides the fact he looks like he's in his twenties? And so did Rosalie and Jasper for that matter? I chose not to voice that thought, though. The last thing I wanted was to offend somebody.

"Never mind," I said instead, "go on." Jessica seemed to love that statement as she once again took control of the conversation.

"The little weird girl, that's Alice Cullen. And she's with Jasper Hale, the blond guy who looks like someone stuck acid in his mouth."

"Jasper _Hale_?"

"Yeah, he's Rosalie's twin. Apparently they're related to Mrs. Cullen who took them in after their parents died. And the bronze haired boy is Edward Cullen. He's totally gorgeous, and from what I've gathered, the only one that's single," Jessica grimaced, "Don't waste your time though. He doesn't date. Nobody here's good enough for him or something."

As if on cue, Edward Cullen turned his head in my direction and glared at me like it was my fault he didn't date anybody.

"It's disgusting, really," Jessica continued, unaware at Cullen's sudden behavior or attention, "they all live under the same roof. And they're siblings, you know?"

Angela spoke up, "Jessica, they aren't actually related."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Yeah, _whatever_," repeated Mike, "So, let's not talk about the Cullens." He smiled at me. "Bella, talk to us about yourself."

I guess since I was annoyed at the end of the forthcoming information, the slightly sarcastic comment left my lips before I could stop it. "Hi, my name is Bella Swan. I'm from Phoenix, Arizona, and I've just recently moved to Silent Hill, Washington to spend some time with my dad, Police Chief Charlie Swan."

The four of them stared at me.

"You didn't tell us anything we didn't already know."

Before I could say anything, the bell rang. I jumped out of my seat at the sound and landed at my butt. The whole cafeteria stared while Mike laughed his head off. Eric helped me to my feet while Mike tried to choke out apologies between his snorts.

"We didn't have bells at my old school," I explained.

"Well, there's some new information," Angela said while Mike informed, "The five minute lunch bell is the only one we have," while Eric asked if I was alright.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said to Eric.

To distract them from the incident that just occurred, I offered, "I have Biology next."

That prompted a reaction as everyone got ready to go back to class.

"Yay, like, so do I!" Jessica informed me. And with that, she grabbed me from Eric's grasp, and she and Mike frog marched me to the Biology classroom.

It was odd walking into the Biology classroom. I wondered what we were going to learn. I took Freshman Biology back in Phoenix and was done with the BI 211 and BI 213 sections of AP Biology before I was uprooted and replanted in Silent Hill. (Haha, pun intended.) To what level of detail will this teacher teach? Will I learn anything new?

I then took note of the classroom. There were no desks at all, and all the students sat at black topped lab benches. As Jessica and Mike moved passed me, I realized the stint in the cafeteria had us arrive a bit later than the rest of the students. There was only one seat open, and it was next to It's-Your-Fault-I'm-Not-Attached Edward Cullen.

The teacher wordlessly nodded in the direction of I'm-Richer-And-Therefore-Better-Than-You Cullen, and I knew I was definitely going to enjoy my days in Biology with my new bench partner.

I love Silent Hill. Have you noticed that?

As I set over things onto the bench, I-Model-For-Abercrombie-and-Fitch-Between-Spouts-of-Emo Edward Cullen was still glaring at me. Okay. This was getting weird. I had not run over any animals nor spit in anybody's face since I got here, so why was he acting like I pissed in his untouched coffee? Ignore him, Bella, and he'll ignore you.

"…_Another group of organelles, not considered part of the endomembrane system, are the mitochondria and the chloroplasts, and they are best described as the..."_

No, seriously though! He spent half of the lecture grinding his teeth and clenching and unclenching his hand. The last time anybody had acted like that to me was when I tripped through our neighbor's screen door back in Phoenix, and the neighbor was this old stern-faced Chinese lady who couldn't take anything humorously for the life of her.

"…_DNA from mitochondria and chloroplasts are most similar to DNA from cyanobacteria which support the endosymbiotic theory! Evidence in the reality of the endosymbiotic theory can be seen in primary endosymbiosis. I'm calling it 'primary' endosymbiosis because…"_

The rest of that lecture consisted of me taking notes on things my AP Biology teacher from Phoenix already went over while trying to ignore the angry brat next to me. It was really tiring to tell the truth. Was every biology lecture going to be like this?

"…_lab in a week! Everybody look forward to it! It's one of the few labs the State of Washington could still afford to let you guys have. Alright, class dismissed."_

Even before the first "s" sound of "dismissed" came out of the teacher's mouth, Edward Cullen was already out the door. I stared at the door, my pen still in my hand from the note taking. Seriously? SERIOUSLY! This was the kind of shit I had to endure in this class? What the… You know what. This wasn't worth it. Totally not worth it. I was going to pack up, go to the office, and demand a class transfer. I refused to be in the room with I-R-God Edward Cullen for another second.

Following my trusty map, I reached the front office where my day of hell began. The sight that greeted me through the glass door of the office stopped my hand while it reached for the doorknob. Edward Cullen was inside, talking animatedly with Mrs. Cope, the frog smile secretary. She shook her head at him with a fake smile, and he stormed away from her. He seemed to stop in midstep when he realized I was on the other side before opening the door.

"I guess I'll just have to endure it," he growled as he moved past me. I glared back at him, unwilling to show him my fear, and walked into the office.

"Mrs. Cope," I said with my best I'm-A-Good-Student-Pity-Me smile, "I was wondering if I could transfer out of Biology."

"Oh no, dear, I'm sorry. It seems like every class if full. Is there something wrong with Mr. Banner?"

"No, it's not that," I said, "It's just that, I've already learned everything from AP Biology back in Phoenix, and-"

"—It's just like what I told Edward," she interrupted, "all the classes are full, and all juniors are required to take Biology. I'm sorry, dear," she said with a smile that clearly said she was not sorry.

"Okay. Thank you anyway," I said. I left the office, feeling defeated. It looked like I'll just "have to endure it." Walking to my truck proved to be a bit of a challenge on the wet pavement, but careful navigation got me through with no problems. At least I wasn't in any hurry. I drove up Munson Road and back to Old Silent Hill and home with Charlie.

…

…

…

There was just something about Edward Cullen that seemed to be a bit off. Nobody's that upset at another person they'd just met. Hmm, I wonder what his story was…


	2. Chapter 2

There Was a Lion and a Lamb Here (They're Gone Now)

By: Komo Pineconeseed

Disclaimer: Twilight is the copyright of Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown and Company. Silent Hill is the copyright of Konami, Team Silent, Toyama Keiichiro, and Yamaoka Akira. I own neither Twilight nor Silent Hill.

Warnings: Major spoilers for Silent Hill 1 and 2, minor spoilers for Silent Hill 3 and 4, and minor spoilers for Twilight and arguably New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. Out of character. Some parts of this story may be considered violent or cruel.

Rating for Overall Story: M for Mature for Possible Language, Violence, Religious Themes (SH's Cult Themes), and Sexuality. Rating for this Chapter: M for Mature for Possible Language, Violence, and Religious Themes (SH's Cult Themes).

Genre: Parody/Horror

Special Thanks to: Guy on the Couch for your map of Silent Hill!

Chapter 2

I woke up the next day slightly disoriented by the sound of rain falling. After three minutes of fumbling through my closet, trying to find something warm to wear, I dragged my feet to the bathroom and took a shower. Getting down the stairs was another ordeal.

After stepping on my own toes and completely skipping Step #4 and landing on my butt, I finally fumbled into the kitchen. There was a note pinned to the refrigerator: "_Emergency. Another possible missing person's case. Will probably be late for dinner._" I guess this meant I was going to cook dinner tonight.

I stuffed my half completed biology homework along with my map, my flashlight, and my radio into my backpack, slung the thing over my back, and went out the door. And just like yesterday, the first thing that greeted my eyes was the "Beware of Dog" sign on our across-the-street neighbor's fence.

Why would they have the sign if they don't have a dog? To serve as a bluff, perhaps, but any self-respecting burglar would have scouted a house before they robbed, so wouldn't they find out there wasn't a dog? And why would they rob the house right next to the Chief of Police's? It would be insensitive to ask why there was a sign, however. My bet was that they're dog died recently, and they're probably still in mourning or something.

Shifting my truck into gear, I drove past Fish-n-Fries and onto Bachman Road. After another scenic drive, battling against the heavy rain and praying that my tires still had traction, I arrived for another fun day at Silent Hill High School. The only spot unoccupied in the parking lot was next to a sporty BMW. What was a luxury car doing in a high school parking lot?

Oh yeah. The Cullen Family and their bratty, obnoxious little Edward. I totally forgot about them. Boy, was Biology going to be fun.

* * *

In retrospect, the day wasn't that bad. Sure, I had the incorrect answer in Trig, and there was this mishap with a volleyball in PE, but Mike was there to keep me company throughout the day, I got two bottles of grapefruit juice for lunch, and get this:

Edward Cullen wasn't there! So, I had the desk all to myself! Okay, okay, that's not much cause for celebration since I'll probably never find out why the stupid kid was bitching at me in the first place, but oh well. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Okay, maybe it was a bit insensitive for me to celebrate his absence. Maybe he had an illness in his family… no, that couldn't be right. The rest of his supermodel family was at school. Maybe he himself had an illness? I could see that happening in a place as cold and dreary as Silent Hill. Whatever. I shouldn't worry about it. It's not like I'm the reason he's missing class.

Driving on Nathan Avenue and out of South Silent Hill in the direction of home was beginning to be one of the highlights of my day, but my cheerfulness was interrupted when I got home, and the emptiness of the hallways seemed to echo through the house. Oh, that was right. Charlie said he wouldn't be back for a while. Renee wasn't ever like this. She was always first back home, and I always could count on hearing her chat on the phone with one of her friends before she promptly left at 7:13 pm to date her boyfriend of the week. And then she met and married Phil, and I moved to Silent Hill to spend some time with Charlie. Only, it was beginning to feel like I moved to Silent Hill to spend some time with Charlie's house while Charlie was out working.

It was still a little after 4 pm, but I decided to start preparing for dinner. I hoped it wasn't the start of some sort of tradition, but Charlie never struck me as the kind of person who'd consistently cook. Not when there was a Fish-n-Fries less than a block away from our house. So, I opened the fridge, ready to exercise my magic, when I stumbled upon one of oddest sights ever.

There were only two things in the otherwise empty fridge: a bottle of white wine and a bottle of chocolate milk.

Why, Father? Why didn't you stock your refrigerator? How the hell did you survive all these years by yourself if you couldn't even feed yourself properly? What if you got locked in or something? Were you expecting the bottle of chocolate milk to never run out while you enjoyed its chocolately goodness or something? I suppose you could always use the bottle of white wine as a weapon or something…

After shopping at a convenience store and a food and liquor store near the house, I started dinner and then went upstairs to procrastinate on homework by checking my email. I plopped my new laptop on my desk and accidently knocked Charlie's stun gun— my stun gun technically— onto the floor. I picked up the stun gun and threw it on top of my bed where it landed with a soft cushioned thud on top of my backpack.

After opening Firefox, I finally logged into my email account. I had three unread messages, all from Renee. The first one was asking how I was, why I hadn't emailed her yet, and where her shirt was. The second message asked why I still hadn't emailed her yet and a reminder to read the first message. The third message sternly informed me that if I didn't email her back, she'd call Charlie.

I sighed and clicked to create a new message. _Mom,_ I started to type, _I'm fine. I'll send a more informative email soon. _I sent that message and quickly clicked the "New Message" button._ Mom, _I started again,_ classes are going well. I've already read most of the books in Literature, and Biology is less hellacious than when Mr. Smith taught it. And of course it's raining. It's the Olympic Peninsula. On another note, Charlie bought me a truck as a present. Awesome, huh? He also gave me_

I stopped typing. Should I tell Renee about the stun gun? About the White Claudia drug that Charlie informed me of? About the missing people cases? I could just imagine her panicked expression as she ranted on the phone at Charlie for me to move to Florida to live with her and Phil. And Charlie, concerned for me, would probably agree despite his own wishes. Charlie would probably choose my safety over anything else.

But I didn't really want to move to Florida. I didn't like Silent Hill—it was too wet and grey, but I was curious to see how everything played out. Sure, I would like to help Charlie find out more about White Claudia, but I was mostly curious about Edward Cullen. Why did he glare at me? Was it because I was stealing attention away from his family, the other group of people who had recently moved to Silent Hill? Was it because I reminded him of someone he'd rather forget? It seemed like a silly reason to stay in Silent Hill, but I couldn't deny the pull the Cullen Family had on those around them. The student body both loved and hated them.

I decided to delete the "He also gave me" part of my email and went on to discuss my relationship with my peers: mostly Mike, Jessica, Eric, and Angela since their names were the only ones I seemed to have remembered. I sent the email and then went downstairs to start on cooking. I decided to marinate some pork in the white wine in the fridge, and then wrapped the potatoes aluminum foil. With nothing else to do, I went upstairs to start on homework.

I decided to memorize some trigonometric identities. After copying tangent's double angle formula for the tenth time, I decided to lightly cook the pork in a frying pan before sticking them in the oven. Using some more wine, I decided to experiment with a new sauce. In the midst of my creative outlet, the lock on the front door rustled. I looked up in time to see Charlie walk in with a resigned look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Charlie looked at me and sighed.

"We have another missing person's case. This time..," He seemed unable to continue for a moment, but then took a deep breath. "…It was the officer who was closest to finding the culprit of the White Claudia case. What's more, all of the officer's information about possible leads were erased," he paused to look me dead in the eye, "and whoever did it did an incredibly brilliant or shoddy job, depending on how you look at it."

"How so?"

"It was obvious data was erased. We just can't track who erased the data or even what the erased data was. Usually, even when something is deleted from a computer's harddrive, it's not completely gone. There are ways to track the information. But not in this case."

"But wouldn't there be a backup? Like either on a thumb drive or on the internet?"

"We can't find anything," Charlie paused again, "There was also a hospitalization—a student that overdosed on White Claudia. A girl that's in your grade, Bella."

I was shocked. "Who?"

"I shouldn't tell you, but you're a good girl, Bella. I trust you won't tell anyone. Besides, you might hear rumors about her anyway. It was June Richardson." The name sparked a faint recollection. June Richardson was a short girl with braces and a really unfortunate looking perm. In Spanish yesterday, she conjugated a really odd sentence about smoking squirrels. It quickly became an inside joke, but what if that wasn't a joke?

Charlie walked closer towards me and hung up his gun belt. He meandered over to the small kitchen and sat on a stool next to the counter.

"It smells good, Bella."

"Thanks," I started, "it's just some pork filet mignon and potatoes. I didn't have much Trig homework today." Charlie smiled at me and then, he sighed again, and rested his forehead in his hands while his elbows were propped on the counter. I finished the salad in silence while I watched him. He was only four years older than Renee, but in moments like this, it seemed like four decades. Stories from Renee were all about how much of a workaholic Charlie was. He was boring, Mom said. I realized while adding olive oil into the Caesar salad, however, that Charlie genuinely cared for the folks in the small town of Silent Hill.

I set the counter and arranged the food in a pleasing way. Charlie didn't seem to mind the counterbalancing colors as he wolfed down the pork. He seemed so forlorn.

Eating your problems would only lead to indigestion.

A few moments passed. I was busy cutting up my filet into a smiley face when Charlie broke the silence. "So, how do you like school? Are you making friends?"

"Yeah. There's this girl Jessica. There's also Mike and Eric. I met a girl named Angela too, but she seems fairly quiet most of the time."

"That'd be Angela Webber. Her father is a Lutheran minister. Nice man, but he's known for getting into arguments with Mrs. Cullen about theology."

I jumped onto opening Charlie gave me.

"Mrs. Cullen? Jessica said she was a bishop? What's her family's story? The other kids at school don't seem to like the Cullens much."

"What?" Charlie exclaimed in a voice louder than I've ever heard him use. "The people of this town," he muttered, "always suspicious about new people. And don't get me started on…" Charlie cut himself off, looking disturbed by his train of thought. He snapped out of it pretty quickly.

"All of those kids are well-behaved and polite," Charlie continued, "I had my doubts when they first moved in with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them, but they're all very mature. I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. All this White Claudia nonsense. You'd think someone would have taught them to say no to hallucinogens…

"Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk," Charlie grumbled as he shoved more food in his mouth.

I munched quietly on the left cheek of my filet mignon smiley face. It was the longest speech I heard Charlie make. We finished the rest of the meal in silence, and I managed to rope him into helping me do the dishes. After they were done, I returned to my bedroom to finish my Trig homework.

The rest of the week was interesting. School itself was uneventful. Mike was planning a trip to La Push in two weeks, and I was invited. Edward Cullen never came back to school, which allowed me a breath of relief.

By the time the end of the week came, I pretty much learned everybody's name. I was excited for the weekend, excited for the break in never ending Trig and Spanish homework. Friday morning, I got ready to go to school just like any other morning. I fell into a routine. I woke up, took a shower, brushed my teeth, and packed my backpack, making sure to also take the flashlight, radio, and map just in case I got lost. And most importantly, I made sure to leave the stun gun on my bedroom dresser. I carefully made my way down the stairs and opened the door to leave the house. This was where the week got interesting.

I opened the door, ready to walk to my truck, when it dawned on me it was fogging. Like seriously fogging. I had seen it mist here in Silent Hill the night I arrived, but it was nothing compared to the fog I was currently seeing. I couldn't see anything more than ten feet away because the fog was so dense. And it was the type of cold grey fog that clung to your every crevice, dropping the temperature more than ten degrees. How was I supposed to drive to school if I couldn't see? Also, was it snowing? I reached my hand up towards the sky. Yep, definitely feels cold like snow.

I cautiously made my way to the cab of the truck, making sure I didn't slip like usual. I made it in alright, and I put my key into the ignition, ready to turn on the heater the minute the truck started. The problem was the truck didn't start. In fact, it didn't even give any noise at all. It didn't stutter. It was like I stuck and turned the key into a block of lead.

Great.

I started walking towards the house to call Charlie when I realized I didn't know his number, and I wasn't about to call 911 simply to tell my dad I couldn't get my truck started. I doubted he could have given me a ride or anything. And I didn't know any of my friends well enough to get their cell phone numbers, something I should have done in retrospect. Damn.

I told Charlie that giving me such an old car was a bad idea! Now I couldn't get to school! And I wasn't about to walk either. By the time I walked to school, it would have been over anyway. As I stuck my key back into the front door's lock, I made the decision I was simply going to stay home today. It would be terrible, yes, but I'd explain my situation to my teachers and hopefully the fact that I was a new student would get me a get-out-of-jail-free card. There was just one problem with my plan.

The front door of my house wouldn't open. It was like it was jammed or something. I tried turning the key in every way possible, but the door just wouldn't open. Fuck! Now what? I'm out here in the cold, with just a backpack that had a notebook, a few pens, a map, a flashlight, and a radio. Maybe I'd knock on one of my neighbor's doors and hope they took pity on me. There was nothing else I could do. I knocked on the door of the neighbor with the "Beware of Dog" sign. There was nobody home. The fence with the sign was slightly ajar, however, so I decided to go into their backyard. If anything else, I would be able to get their attention.

…

…

…

…

(_That smell. Nausea. Blood everywhere…_)

…

(_Beware of Dog? What?_)

…

(_I don't. I don't understand. What? What is going on?_)

…

…

(_Wh-what the hell! What the hell? What the hell? What the hell? What the hell? What the hell? What the hell?)_

…

There was this totally mutilated dog corpse. The front cavity had completely rotted away, and the rib bones were jagged as they protruded outward. One rib in particular had a piece of rotting flesh swaying in the windless air. Maggots were moving all over the corpse (_oh my god, what kind of sick bastards would just leave this lying around?_), making the flesh minutely twitch. The rotting blood and pus of the animal was covering the wall of the house, and the surrounding ground. (_Oh my god._) The smell—oh god, the smell—of the iron from the blood and pus made me vomit near my feet. Almost immediately, some maggots moved out of the corpse and entered the vomit, mixing in with it and turning the pile a whitish sick yellow color.

I looked up.

On the wall… oh god… on the wall, with blood and pieces of rotting flesh caked on, was a window. And through the window, I could see that the television was on, and the static from the television illuminated through a handprint. The handprint was clear against the pieces of rotting flesh surrounding it. The handprint was small—that of a child's.

A child's handprint. Oh god, it looked like a child put their hand up while pieces of rotting dog flesh were flung at the window. (_What the hell?_)

What the fuck is going on here? What the fuck is going on? The fog, the jammed doors, the sick rotting pus, the smell. (_oh god the smell_)

…

I received a response to my question—immediately out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a shadow moving past me. And then, there was a low, unearthly sound. I rushed back to the door of the fence, desperate to escape into some semblance of safety, but I pulled harder and I realized the door was stuck. All of a sudden, there was a brush at my feet. I screamed and slid backwards, narrowly missing the corpse and fell on the ground. Some maggots quickly left the corpse and raced towards me, making a squishing noise as they collided with some sick mucus excreted from the corpse. I blindly ran through the only exit left—a back alley.

Phmph. The wall that collided with my face jarred me back into reality somewhat, and I stopped to catch my breath. The alley was claustrophobically narrow, perhaps only three feet wide, lined on both sides by dull brick walls. The cemented ground was jagged and grimy, and I still couldn't see very far ahead due to the thick fog. I groped my way forward in this long back alley and slowly made my way forward in a walk. As I was walking, I became hypersensitive to what was in front and behind me. Every once in a while something appeared to move in the mist. God, (oh my god oh my god) I hope I'm just imagining things. I continued walking through the impossibly long alleyway.

I must have a walked two miles in this long alleyway when I first realized my sanity was breaking. It was getting darker. In the middle of the day. I still couldn't see what was in front of me, but it was no longer due to an impossibly grey cold fog. Darkness was descending, turning the fog invisible and the surroundings a darker color. And, if I strained my ears, a small familiar-sounding high pitched noise was in the distance. I continued walking, my feet hurting and blistering from the nonstop strain.

After what felt like five more miles of monotonous walking—how the hell could an alleyway be so long?—I was positive it was getting dark. I had my confirmation when I walked face first into another wall. This time, the force was so hard, I could feel a hot liquid run down my face. I reached up to feel my face, and brought my hand up. I could barely make out the outline of my hand however. I panicked and clutched at my hair. This could not be happening! I couldn't go back. There was no way I could go back. I couldn't go back.

After what felt like an eternity grabbing at my hair and hyperventilating, I calmed down a little. That's it, take slow deep breaths. Slow deep breaths. (_In and out. In and out. Inhale and exhale._)

Hey wait a second, didn't I have a flashlight on me? … I had a flashlight on me! I groped around in my backpack, and pulled out my pocket flashlight and turned it on, putting it in my jacket's breastpocket. Illuminated in front of me was a turn in the alleyway. This was how I must have crushed my face. I turned around.

Ten feet away from where I was standing was the wall of the house. The flashlight illuminated the still wet pus, mucus, and pieces of the corpse. I could still see the child's handprint in the window.

There was no way the house was only ten feet away. I looked at my sneakers. They were decidedly much more grime than when I put this on this morning. There was not this much grime in the ten feet of alleyway leading to the house! Another unearthly noise came from the direction of the corpse, and I looked around the corner of the alleyway. There was a small wooden fence. I walked towards the fence I pushed it open, revealing more alleyway. The alley seemed to be much safer than the direction of the corpse. Plus, this time, I could see where I was going.

I walked forward. All of a sudden, a sound in the background blared like an air raid siren. Even expecting the pitch change, the noise scared me. I didn't understand any of it! Why was there an air raid siren?

For a moment I contemplated going back. But that meant returning in the direction of the corpse and locked gate. But considering the number of turns that I've made so far and the distance that I've walked (_ten feet how could it only have been ten feet I don't understand_), I must be getting closer to one of the big streets, right? I pulled out my map to confirm it…

I continued to walk forward and turned with the alley and passed through a chain link gate. It was difficult to comprehend anything in the dark, but over the air raid siren, I heard the soft squeaking noise of metal against metal. It was a disconcerting sound. I walked closer, letting my flashlight illuminate the source of the noise.

It was a wheelchair, empty and lying on its side. The wheel in the air continued to squeak as it turned in the windless air. I don't understand (_I don't understand I… What's going on? What's going on? What's going on?_)

I continued to walk through the alleyway. (_Is it too late to turn back?_) I could see something else, something in the middle of the fork in the pathway. (_What…? Is that…? Oh my god oh my god oh my god what kind of sick bastards are they the same as the ones with the dog corpse what oh my god oh my god…)_

Breathe.

It was… It was… a medical gurney. And, unlike the wheelchair… it was not empty. There was a thin white sheet covering the body (_oh my god this isn't a hospital why is it here?_) and blood on the sheet… and blood on the ground underneath the gurney. Blood everywhere. There's not that much blood in just a single person… (_What the fuck why is this here?_)

I couldn't go to the left since a chain link fence prevented going in that direction. I turned to the right instead, where there was more blood on the ground (_slaughterhouse_) and walked. (_Is it too late to turn back? Too late? Oh my god._)

I walked along with chain link fences flanking me on both sides. Blood periodically dripped down a fence (_oh my god, what the fuck?_), it squished under my shoes. As I walked forward, I could see…

…

…

… a mutilated person crucified on the chain link fence. (_oh my god, what is happening?_) You could even see individual muscle fibers stretched taunt over bare bone…

(_crash_)

What was that?

(_giggling_)

(_more giggling_)

What the hell was that? Oh my god, it's…

…

(_snickering, giggling)_

…

…They're… coming closer… oh my god… Help! Somebody—

…

(_more giggling) _

…

_(light dimly reflected back from metal)_

…

Somebody, anybody! SOMEBODY SAVE ME!

(_more giggling)_

_(bloodcurdling screaming)_

…_OH MY GOD…_

_(giggling and snickering)_

_(sounds of flesh ripping and tearing)_

…

_(more giggling and sounds of flesh ripping)_

…

_(fade to blackness)_

…

…

…_OH MY GOD... _

…

…

"OH MY GOD!" I awoke with a startle. I hyperventilated; the adrenaline was still pumping through my veins as I tried to regain my composure. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

"Are you alright?"

I screamed, looking ahead. There was a Native American guy, a little younger than me. Quileute, probably. I looked around wildly. I was in a rundown café of some sort. The windows that didn't have the blinds down showed an endless cold grey fog and fluttering snow. What the…? It's daytime? What? Where am I?

"Whoa, calm down," the Quileute said, recapturing my attention as he raised both of his hands, "I'm not going to hurt you or anything. How do you feel?"

I replied automatically. "I'm alright, I guess."

"Glad to hear it. I have a question. Have you seen a Quileute man? He's paraplegic, middle aged. My father. "

"What?"

"He's in a wheelchair…"

I stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing. The thick cold grey fog was still covering the sky outside, and it was still snowing.

I tried to compose myself as I analyzed the situation. Why was I here? Did I hit my head, and he brought me here? Yes, that was the only logical explanation; there was no other explanation. I mean, what I saw couldn't have happened. A dog corpse? Air sirens? Medical gurneys with dead corpses? _Mutilated giggling grey children wielding knives?_

"Have you seen a middle aged Quileute man in a wheelchair?"

A wheelchair? Wait… like a wheelchair? A wheelchair… _wheelchair… empty and lying on its side… The wheel in the air squeaked as it turned in the windless air…_

"Have you seen a middle aged Quileute man in a wheelchair?" The boy repeated once more, breaking my reverie. His tone was blunt, and he looked at me as if I was retarded or something.

"N-no…" I started at him. "Where are we?"

The boy stared at me. "Silent Hill. Yes, I know. Something bizarre is going on."

I stared back at him. "S-so, this doesn't happen normally? The air raid sirens and the medical gurneys…"

"What are you talking about? Silent Hill has been like this for… quite a while now."

"Quite a while?"

"A few days, weeks, months perhaps? I can't remember. Anywho, it's not important. I need to find my dad."

I looked outside. The place was still as quiet as a ghost town; the old blinds on the windows only highlighted the decrepit atmosphere.

"Why don't you call the police?" I murmured, distracted by the unsettling atmosphere.

"I have. They're already swamped with the amount of missing person cases. Even if the police chief is a friend of my father's…"

That caught my attention.

"Wait. The police chief?"

"Yeah, Charlie Swan."

"I know who the police chief is. He's my father."

"No way," the boy's eyes widened, "You're Isabella?"

"Bella. What's your name?"

"Jacob. Jacob Black. I'm from La Push."

"Hang on a second." A memory from the back of my head sparked. "Did my dad buy a truck off of you…?"

He laughed. It sounded forced and out of place. "Yeah, he did. Our dads used to be good friends you know. They used to go fishing together." He sobered up pretty quickly. "I'm here," he continued as he got up from his seat, "to find my father. The phones are all dead… and the radios too." He started to walk towards the door. "I'm going to go look for him."

"Wait!" I leaped up from my seat. "Don't leave me alone in this crazy place!"

Jacob stared at me. "You want to help me look for my father? Then we'd make better time if we split up."

"No! Don't leave me alone! You saved me from those things, right? Those grey children with knives?"

Jacob continued to stare at me as he walked to the door. "No," he said slowly, "What are you talking about? Grey children with knives? The only creatures out of place here are those pterodactyl like things. And dogs."

I blanched. _Dogs? (__Maggots were moving all over the corpse… minutely twitching flesh… rotting blood…)_

Jacob continued, unaware of my derailed train of thought. "You were here when I found you, lying on the booth's seat, screaming. I originally thought you might had been my father." He shook his head.

"You'll be okay on your own. Just run from the monsters and close the doors behind you. I'd love to take you with me, but I can't. I need to find my father. He's paraplegic. I can't leave him out there by himself, and you'll just slow me down."

By then, he stood next to the door, his hand on the knob.

"I've combed through this town, looking for him, but it's hard with the roads blocked off. We'll probably run into each other again soon or something. Let me know if you find any clues about his whereabouts."

Before I could stop him, he left the café. The door softly fell into place behind him. I laid back down on the booth's seat and closed my eyes.

Was this a dream? No, more like a nightmare. Dogs? Pterodactyls? Mutilated children with knives?

All of a sudden, an odd noise erupted from my backpack. My backpack! I opened it, and I pulled out my radio, which for some strange reason, had started blaring a weird static noise, _despite the fact that the radio was off._ I tried to get it to stop that infernal noise when I heard _it_.

_It_ was the sound of breaking glass and the sound of a high pitched unearthly ricocheting throughout the bar. I turned around and stared into the face of a monster. It flew at me, claws out, ready to grab me. I screamed and bolted towards the door, tugging it open, and flew face first into the cold, lifeless fog.

The thing had followed me through the door, and I ran. I ran and ran, blindly through the fog. Quick! Think, there had to be a way out of here, a place where I could hide. I just need to get away from the monsters everywhere.

I stopped momentarily at an intersection, determined to place myself. Bachman Road and… Finney Street? That's near my house! The door to the house might be jammed, but I'd rather take my chances near my house than out here in the open with whatever was lurking in the fog.

Right. House it was then. I jogged home, short of breath, but the monsters were either too slow or too clumsy to keep up with me. I ran up the porch, reached my hand out to grasp the doorknob, and turned. The doorknob made a light, empty sound.

Shit! The thing was still jammed. I tried to open the door to my truck. Its lock was now jammed too. I glanced back. I couldn't see the movement of the dogs, so I assumed they couldn't see me.

I glanced again at the "Beware of Dog" sign. With my house out of the question, I needed to be with Jacob in order to be safe. Jacob wanted to find his father. His father was paraplegic. There was an empty wheelchair in that alleyway. Perhaps…? I decided to go back and see if I could find any clues. I'd die anyways if I just stayed out here.

Even though I was prepared for it, the rotting dog corpse still disgusted and scared me. I quickly walked past it and through the alleyway. This time around, the alleyway seemed much shorter than when I first walked through it. I got to the chain link gate and pushed it open. There, lying on the ground right in front of me, were curious boxes. I got closer to examine them. Holy shit. It was handgun ammunition! Who in the world would leave handgun ammunition out on the ground in an alleyway? How come I hadn't noticed it before? I glanced around. There didn't seem to be a single living soul. I took the handgun ammunition and put them in my backpack. This way, they could never be used against me.

I got up and continued to walk through the alleyway and turned a corner. The result? I nearly walked face first into a wall. The hole at the bottom of the wall wasn't completely sealed off, but it was obvious I couldn't crawl through it. I bent down to look through the hole. It was just more alleyway—I couldn't see a wheelchair at all.

There was a wheelchair, wasn't there?

I was just about to give up when I noticed papers on the ground, spilled from a manila folder. I leafed through the papers. There was an expired fishing license and a coupon for a free drink at Fish-n-Fries, but nothing else was remotely useful or interesting. I suppose this could be Jacob's dad's folder. He and Charlie went fishing together before, right? And Charlie loved Fish-n-Fries, so Jacob's dad could too. I continued to leaf through the papers. The last one caught my eye.

_Going to School._

School? Why would Jacob's dad be at a school? I pulled out my map. There were only two schools in Silent Hill. My school, Silent Hill High School, and…

"…Midwich Elementary School," I said aloud.

What were the chances that a paraplegic man without his wheelchair would be at an elementary school? Hell, what were his chances of being anywhere without his wheelchair? Chances were better that he would be at Silent Hill High School—he's son, Jacob, seemed to be my age. I decided to go there to look for him. But it would be prudent, I surmised, to first go to Midwich Elementary since it was on the way. I left the alleyway, and took a left when I arrived at Finney Street. I ran further, determined to find Jacob's dad, avoiding the monsters when I noticed something peculiar.

The road had stopped.

No, it wasn't a "the road stopped, now you have to walk on uneven gravel" sort of road stopped. The road had stopped. The ground and the buildings had also stopped. It was like I was walking toward the edge of the world. I looked forward, as far as I could. It would have been like looking out on a cliff had I been able to see more than a few feet in front of me.

My radio started emitting static again, and I swore I could hear the flap-flap-flap of a monster coming up from behind me, so I ran. I made a right on Levin Street. Maybe Matheson Street could take me to Midwich Street which would lead me to the elementary school? But as I ran just a little bit further on Matheson Street, I could see that the road and the ground gave way to nothingness, just like on Finney Street. It was another dead end.

I returned to Levin Street, and, noticing the dogs south of me, decided to go back the way I came. As I ran back up Levin Street, I saw that the front door to one of the houses was open. Mindful of the dogs still running around the place, I decided to run towards the house. After I got in, I immediately closed the door behind me.

Wait a second, what if… ah, ah… jiggle-click… oh, never mind. False alarm. For a second, I was afraid the door had jammed on me. It hadn't. I could still open it.

I walked through the house, looking for anything I could use as a weapon. There was nothing useful, except for this suspicious looking bottle with the words "Health Drink" on it. There was also a note on the kitchen counter with the word "Doghouse" written on it. I left both where I found them. When I got to the back door, I noticed another odd thing about the house. The door had a chain lock and three separate locks on it! Weird, huh? I checked through the window; the door just led to the backyard. It was a shame. If I could open this door, I could get to Midwich quicker, assuming the ground didn't end on me again or something.

I left the house and examined the inside of the doghouse. There was a key taped to the roof of the doghouse! I took it and returned to the back door of the house. I tried the key on each of the three locks, but the key wouldn't fit in any.

Well, shit. I glanced around. There was various paraphernalia lying about, but there was also a map! I didn't pay any attention to it at first on the account I already had a map, but looking closer, there was something written on it: an arrow, a line, a circle, and the words "Keys for Eclipse."

Maybe the map was showing me the location of the keys needed to lock the back door? I copied the symbols onto my map. The keys were all of out of way, however. I'd be better off finding a road that lead to Midwich Elementary that didn't abruptly end.

I left the house, and I ran around, trying to find a road that lead to Midwich. I tried to get to a Bloch Street that existed according to my map. Every time I tried, however, the road always ended before I could get there. I couldn't climb over any of the fences since they were too high. Luckily for me, avoiding the monsters wasn't hard. They were slow and clumsy. I nearly gotten bitten by a few of the dogs roaming the place, but I somehow managed to avoid them when I retrieved the first key, "Key of Scarecrow", denoted by the circle on the map. The "Key of Lion" was even easier to retrieve. It was in the open trunk of an abandoned police car. The doors of the police car were locked, and the threat of a flying monster prevented me from trying to break into the police car to use the radio.

Oh well. The police car's radio probably would have just emitted static like my pocket radio.

I arrived at a small street, denoted by the line on my map, in my attempt to retrieve the third and final key. There were no dogs or flying creatures, which was good, and an "Off limits" sign on the gate caught my attention. Remembering the last time I ignored the warning on a sign, I gulped and pushed my way in.

…

…

…

(_What the hell?_)

There was a severed dog's head… in a pool of blood… at the bottom of a basketball hoop. The location of the head suggested that someone was shooting hoops with a severed dog's head. (_Oh my god._) The rotting smell made its way up my nostrils, and I started dry-heaving.

…

When I managed to collect myself, I realized that not far from the severed dog's head and in its own pool of blood was another key… another long thin key, very much like the Key of Scarecrow and Key of Lion. My bets were it was the Key of Tin-man, to continue with the Wizard of Oz reference. I picked it up and read the engraving.

Key of Woodman. Well, I was close enough.

To get away from the smell, I ran from the gate, through the small street, and back onto Matheson Street. I was so tired from all the running, and the adrenaline was starting to wear off. By the time I turned right onto Levin Street to return to the house to open the back door, I was slowly jogging. I was nearly there when all of a sudden, in a very familiar moment of clumsiness, I tripped and fell face first into the pavement. I was slightly dazed as I tried to push myself back up. It could have been from the repeated abuse of my nose, but I didn't hear the static being emitted from my radio.

Right when I managed to maneuver myself onto my feet, a sharp, excruciating pain in my right ankle pierced through the haze in my thoughts. It took me a moment to realize what had happened; a dog had bitten me and ran off. With tears leaking from my eyes, I was busy shifting my weight when another dog had realized where I was and started running towards me. I glanced around. My attacker was coming back as well.

Dragging my feet as best I could, I stumbled onto the stairs of the house when a dog headbutted me into the door. Another dog bit at my arm. I kicked at both dogs with my bleeding foot which hurt like hell, but I managed to stun them both (out of shock, probably) and got myself through the door which I promptly closed behind me.

I slunk to the ground, my ankle profusely bleeding. It hurt like hell as I rolled over to look at the wound. Oh god, (_oh god the blood_) I needed stitches. I dragged myself to the phone and picked up the handset, only to realize that the phone was dead.

I didn't know how much blood I had lost, only that I was starting to feel the prickles of darkness tickling my thoughts. I looked at my ankle, and I tried to pinch the bite marks close, but it only slowed the bleeding a little bit.

Oh my god. I was about to die.

I looked around, trying to find anything I could use to help myself when I noticed the bottle I ignored earlier, the "Health Drink". I looked around some more. There was nothing else. Nothing I could use to patch myself up with. Shit.

Oh well, if my fate was to die here, in the house of stranger, in the town I've only lived in for a few days, then I might was well die with a sense of humor. If I kept bleeding like this, I would just end up in hypovolemic shock. I wouldn't be able to appreciate humor with my organs failing on me. I made up my mind.

I drank the Health Drink.

Stupid, right? I didn't even know what was in the thing, but because I was dying and it was labeled "Health Drink", I chugged the bottle. And miraculously, the pain in my ankle dulled a bit. I returned to look at my ankle. Instead of bleeding all over the place, the wounds were crusted over. It seemed like the wound closed. The healing resembled something a month old rather than a few minutes. My whole body was still sore, and after carefully prodding at myself, I determined that the light scratch wounds hadn't healed over. My nose still bloody from the repeated faceplants. Apparently, I wasn't completely healed, only a little bit.

I stared at the Health Drink. Regardless of being only partially healed, if I had known this would have happened, I would have saved some! I sighed.

But enough about this, I had to open that door. The sooner I found Jacob's dad, the sooner I would find Jacob, and then I would be marginally safer. I nodded to myself. I had to get to Midwich Elementary.

I got up and hobbled a bit to the back door. My ankle was much better, but it still wasn't like it was never bitten. I stopped walking for a bit to rotate and massage my ankle. It seemed to have gotten a little better after a short massage, and after I was confident that I could outrun a dog for a short burst, I reached up and undid the locks one by one.

Click. Click. Click.

I then reached up and undid the chain lock. It slid off smoothly. I grasped the doorknob of the backdoor, turned it, pushed it open, and then walked through the door. I then stared at my surroundings as the door I unlocked closed behind me.

…

Oh my god. I'm still in the house! But I had thought I would be outside! I looked closer at my surroundings. It looked like I walked through the front door into somebody else's house since, to my right, was a small living room… and oh my God!

That was MY picture near the fireplace! And that was a picture of my mother! And that was a picture of my mother and me when we went hiking that one time. And that was a picture of me that one time… Wha-what? What in the world was going on? I looked around me. This house looked exactly like my house! Okay, Charlie's house to be exact. I blinked in surprise.

Click.

I jumped as I realized the door behind me had just been , didn't I just come through that door? I slowly turned around as the front door was pushed open. And, unbelievably, Charlie just walked in through the front door, rubbing his eyes. Behind him, I could see my monster of truck sitting on the driveway through the slightly hazy air due to the tiny amount of mist. Snow was still gently floating down. And behind that, if I squint, I could make out a sign that read "Beware of Dog".

"Bella," Charlie spoke before looking up, breaking me out of my reverie, "how was school today?"

* * *

A/N: The balance between enough coherency to report and process what she was seeing and enough incoherency to accurately reflect what any sane person stuck in Silent Hill would feel was hard to work out. I don't think I fully got it, but I think my result was a decent compromise.

And just like the Silent Hill movie, we're still going to be following canon fairly closely, but soon, new things will start to appear as well as familiar things out of order.


	3. Chapter 3

There Was a Lion and a Lamb Here (They're Gone Now)

By: Komo Pineconeseed

Disclaimer: Twilight is the copyright of Stephenie Meyer and Little, Brown and Company. Silent Hill is the copyright of Konami, Team Silent, Toyama Keiichiro, and Yamaoka Akira. I own neither Twilight nor Silent Hill.

Updated Warnings: Major spoilers for Silent Hill 1, 2, and 3. Minor spoilers for Twilight, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. Out of character. Some parts of this story may be considered violent or cruel.

Rating for Overall Story: M for Mature for Possible Language, Violence, Religious Themes (SH's Cult Themes), and Sexuality.

Rating for this Chapter: M for Mature for Language, Violence, and a tiny bit of Sexuality (but only if you squint and tilt your head).

Genre: General/Horror (Yes, I changed the genre.)

Special Thanks to: Falron13, who pretty much single-handedly revived this story.

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

"Bella, how was school today?" asked Charlie.

I was about to say "fine". It was a knee-jerk reaction, and my adrenaline was preventing me from thinking too clearly. But somehow, I managed to squeak out "I didn't go to school today."

Charlie had looked up by now, and was looking at me oddly. "But you're wearing your backpack, Bells."

"Am I?"

That earned me a seriously concerned look. Think quickly,Bella.

"Er, what I meant to say, yeah, I am. I'm feeling a little bit sick today, so I didn't go to school. I think I'm coming down with a cold. I just came down to get my math textbook. We have a Trig quiz next Monday."

Charlie seemed to buy my lie, which to be honest, was surprising because I was not a good liar and he was the police chief. He walked past me. "Since you're sick, how about I prepare dinner tonight?"

Despite feeling a panic attack might still occur, I smirked. "Depends, are you doing to the cooking or is someone else?" Charlie smiled back.

"Just go upstairs and rest up, Bells."

A thought occurred to me. "Actually, before I go, do you mind if I get your office and cell phone numbers?" Just because Silent Hill's phone line occasionally goes dead doesn't mean that the phone numbers might not come in handy later.

Charlie gave me his numbers, and I went up the stairs. I threw open the door to my bedroom, and looked out the window. It was slightly misting and still raining. I sat down on my bed and shivered, although not from the cold. My backpack, heavy due to the handgun ammo, landed with a thud.

_There were dogs, corpses, grey children with knives, weird pterodactyl flying things…_

Deep breaths. Deep calming breaths.

In and out. In and out.

* * *

A half hour of deep breathing later, I felt like I had my emotions under control again.

"Bella! Dinner's ready!" Charlie's deep voices echoed up the staircase. I was about to turn to leave my bedroom when my eyes landed on my bedroom dresser. There, lying on top, was the stun gun that Charlie got me.

Well, I was not about to make the same mistake twice. I was going to be taking it everywhere I go now.

I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. There were two burgers on plates, but I don't remember buying patty ingredients. I took a quick peek into the trashcan as Charlie was fetching silverware. As I suspected, Charlie didn't make dinner, but went out to Konami Burger and bought some food. We ate in near companionable silence if it weren't for Charlie's occasional sighs. I was tempted to ask him what was wrong, but I was too exhausted from today's events to voice my concern. I also contemplated being honest and telling him what I experienced today; that I found Jacob Black and learned that he was looking for his father. I kept my mouth shut, however, because I feared that Charlie would suspect I was also tripping on White Claudia. Dinner ended when I cleaned up the plates and washed them.

That weekend passed without incident, especially after the super exciting Friday I had. My ankle had miraculously completely healed. Charlie was frequently called away most of the weekend. I de-stressed by cleaning the house, studying for my Trig quiz, and writing my mother an outright lie of an email about how safe and happy I was. I considered exploring the town, but after the Friday incident, I was honestly too scared.

It constantly rained over the weekend, but the fog never became thicker than a gentle mist. Still, I tossed and turned in my sleep. My dreams were haunted with a heavily fogging town, endless running, the scent of rotting meat, and the sound of children giggling barely audible over radio static.

The following Monday started normally. I woke up, showered, and came down the stairs. Charlie had already left, so I stuffed my face with toast alone. I packed my bag with all my school supplies, map, flashlight, stun gun, and handgun ammo. I got into my truck, which turned on this time, and drove to South Silent Hill. People greeted me in the parking lot, and I greeted them back even though I didn't know their names. The first couple of classes came and went. I felt like I aced my Trig quiz. When we were let out of Spanish, however, the air felt crisper, and swirling bits of white drifted down.

It was snowing.

The only time I saw snow in Silent Hill was when…

"Wow," Mike said, interrupting my thoughts. "It's snowing."

"Oh no," I groaned.

He looked surprised. "Don't you like snow?"

Not anymore.

"I'll meet you in the cafeteria, okay?" Mike nodded and started preparing a snowball to throw at Eric.

I got in line to get food and just got a cup ramen. I wanted something hot. When I went to sit down with Mike and the others, I froze when I saw the Cullen table. Edward was back.

I was struck with the urge to play sick. It wouldn't be too unbelievable, as I was "sick" on Friday.

No. I wouldn't do that. I've let this town push me around far too much. I was going to Biology, I was sitting next to the asshole, and if he didn't like it, he'd just have to suck it.

I ate my cup noodles with an angry expression and went to the Biology classroom early. Mr. Banner was distributing microscopes and slides, and I offered to help him to take my mind off things. Slowly, the other students filtered into the room. I took my seat when more than half the class arrived, and was doodling absentmindedly on my notebook when I got the feeling I was being watched.

"Hello."

I looked up. Standing in front of me was Edward Cullen. He was smiling today, and he didn't look quite as ragged as the last time I saw him. In fact, he looked quite beautiful.

"Hello," I greeted back. Didn't hurt to be polite.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued, "I apologize for my rudeness last time. You're Bella Swan?"

Now this was odd. He was being perfectly polite, a complete 180 from last time.

"Yes, I am. It's nice to meet you."

He didn't return my greeting, which was odd, but before I could think more about it, Mr. Banner started class. He explained that we were doing a lab today in pairs. There were prepared whitefish blastula and onion root tip slides. We were to identify cells of each stage of mitosis and to sketch them. We were then to count the number of cells in each stage of mitosis and calculate the average amount of time cells spend in each stage.

"Alright-y then, get started," Mr. Banner said cheerfully.

"Ladies first?" Cullen smiled at me. I tried to smile back, but I suspect it must have come out strained. I grabbed the onion root tip slide and placed it on the microscope stage.

Having done this lab already in Arizona, I was familiar with how to work the microscope. My tried and true method of "find something at the lowest magnification, go to a higher magnification, and then look around wildly" had not failed me yet.

I looked and copied down my five sketches of interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, and then sat up to give my seat to Cullen. When moving behind me to get the microscope, he placed his hands on my shoulders. I would have balked at the invasion of personal space had I not been distracted by the temperature of his hands. They were so cold that I could feel the temperature through my cardigan. Had he participated in the snowball fights during lunch? I admit, I didn't watch the snowball fights. The snow reminded me of…

I shuddered for reasons unrelated to the cold. Or Edward Cullen's proximity.

We continued switching seats to count how many cells were in each phase, and then repeated the who procedure for the whitefish blastula slide. Every single time we switched seats, he touched my shoulders or arms, and every single time, his hands were freezing.

It was utterly bizarre.

Despite being partially distracted, we still finished the lab before everyone else. I thought we would just sit silently, thinking to ourselves, but Cullen had a different idea.

"How do you feel about the snow?"

"It's a new, but expected experience." There, that's a good neutral answer.

Cullen chortled. The sound was deep and husky. "Well of course, you are from Arizona."

"Yes. It's a beautiful state. It's very brown and earthy. And during twilight, the cacti make a gorgeous silhouette against a red sky."

Cullen smiled a crooked smile. "It sounds like an amazing sight."

"It is."

The conversation lulled. The groups around us were starting to finish, and their excited chatter made our silence awkward. I stumbled around for a conversation starter.

"I like your contacts."

"What?" He appeared startled.

"Your contacts. They're a nice color. Gold suits you more than black."

The way Cullen was staring at me was making me self-conscious. Maybe another topic change is needed?

"So, I heard from my dad that your family recently moved to Silent Hill. Where did you live previously?"

"Alaska. And we didn't move that recently. We've been around for a few years now."

"A few years, huh? Then, you'd know all about the secrets around here, huh?"

Cullen chuckled again and smiled his an admitted gorgeous smile. "We've only lived here for a few years, Bella."

"Yes, that that's forever compared to my handful of weeks. Plus, this place is so small, and everyone knows everyone else."

"It's always the small towns that have the most frightening of secrets," Edward said cryptically.

Bingo. What could this town be hiding that caused it to go foggy and utterly terrifying?

"Oh, like what kind of secrets?" I smiled sweetly. You could catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, right? But before Cullen had a chance to reply, Mr. Banner called the class back together again. He went over the slides we had just seen, and recapped the location of the chromosomes during the mitosis phases. He also mentioned something about a genetics lab in a couple of days. I tried to appear attentive, but my thoughts were unmanageable.

What did Cullen mean by "it's always the small towns that have the most frightening of secrets?" Was he aware that the town sometimes takes on the form of something from a survival horror game?

When the bell rang, Edward Cullen jumped out of his seat and rushed out the door, just like last time. I didn't let it get to me this time, however.

After Biology came Phys Ed. I think for the very first time in my life, I made a serious effort in PE. I got my ankle bitten because I was weak and clumsy. I had to change that.

When I walked out of PE, sore and battered, the snow storm had seriously picked up. The clumps of snowflakes were as large as swan feathers, and the mist became thicker. All the students, myself included, were rushing to their cars in an attempt to get home before visibility dropped to a dangerous level. There was a mini-traffic jam at the exit of the parking lot. I waved to Jessica while I waited in line. She lived in one of the apartment complexes in South Silent Hill, and she could just walk home.

After a few moments of waiting, I turned left onto Munsen Street and then left again onto Nathan Avenue. It was the long drive next to the ocean in the snow. I was worried about the traction of my tires, so I took it really slowly. I waved to Angela as she passed me on her way home. I must have been passed by half of the student population before I turned onto Bachman Road.

The drive seemed like the same old drive home until I was about to cross Bradbury Street. The engine started making a god-awful noise. The whole truck felt like it was hiccupping. The truck was slowing down before it stopped working right after I crossed the street. I sighed as I leaned my forehead against the steering wheel. This is what I get for driving a really old truck. It was getting really cold by now, and the snow was coming down harder.

I put my backpack on and shut the door behind me. I was lucky in that there were no other cars around, so my truck wasn't blocking anyone. I pulled out my map, and I noticed there was an auto parts dealer three blocks away. I walked over, but when I got there, nobody was present. The door was jammed.

The fog was starting to get thicker, and I decided to head back to my truck. As I was walking back down Bachman Road however, the road stopped. _It was like I was walking toward the edge of the world._ I couldn't get back. Hadn't something like this happen before? I took out my stun gun as I heard radio static. I made a ran for it when I heard the sound of barking dogs drawing nearer.

I made my way back to the house on Levin Street, the one with the doghouse and the Health Drink. As luck would have it, the door was unlocked, and I went inside. As I approached the back door, I remembered that the door teleported me back home where things were normal and sane. Would it do the same thing again?

I went to open the back door. Thankfully, it was still unlocked.

As I stepped out, I noticed that I did not teleport home. I had entered, what I'm assuming to be, the backyard patio. I took another step forward, and I noticed that the sky was becoming dark unnaturally quickly. In less than five seconds, it was night. I reached into my backpack and pulled out my flashlight. I gripped my stun gun harder as I ran to the elementary school. That's where I had previously suspected Billy Black to be, despite how illogical it was. And if I could find Billy, I could find Jacob.

There was blood seeping out of some of the houses as I ran through the streets, that were devoid of people but not creatures. The night was so dark and none of the street lamps were turned on. I could hardly see more than five feet in front of me. Monsters jumped at me from all sides, but I managed to avoid them. I eventually made it to the middle school.

The double doors were unlocked, and I opened them with relative ease. The school itself seemed like a normal elementary school, except empty and dark. The floor tiles were colorful, and the whole place appeared much calmer than the dogs and madness outside the doors. To my front was another set of double doors, and on my right was a map to the school. I took the map and headed through the double doors.

None of the school's lights were on, and my flashlight only illuminated a small area in front of me. Still, I walked forward with only a slight amount of fear. The hallway was silent, lacking the sounds of monsters. My radio was similarly silent. Lockers lined the narrow hallway, and I turned to the left. The hall way had a small counter on the left. It looked like the school's reception area. On the counter were two books that were thrown around haphazardly, but nothing else were out of the ordinary. I picked a book up, and thumbed through it, before I dropped it with a scream.

_There were words written in blood._

The blood was still slightly wet, and had smeared against the page it was pressed against. The scent of iron wafted up, and made me slightly nauseated. The words were difficult to make out, but I could still read them.

'_10:00_

'_Alchemy laboratory,_

'_Titan in old man's palm._

'_The future hidden in his fist._

'_Exchange for King's water.'_

There was another book in the reception area, and I picked it up with trembling hands. As I suspected when I flipped through the pages, there was another bloody message.

'_12:00_

'_Darkness that brings the choking heat._

'_Flames that render the silence awakening the hungry_

'_Beast. Open time's door to beckon prey.'_

Great. The last thing I needed while being jumpy from adrenaline were cryptic messages. The fact the words were written in blood terrified me. What sort of maniac would do something like this? Especially in an elementary school! I readjusted my backpack to a more comfortable position, and gripped my stun gun tighter.

I left the reception room, walked back into the main hallway, and entered another door. It looked like an infirmary. Next to the door was a cabinet, which was pushed into the corner. I glanced up and saw two familiar bottles. Health Drink! Ugh. Just looking at the words made my ankle twinge in pain. Still, it had saved my life before, and I put both in my backpack. Looking around, the only other useful thing was a first aid kit. I pocketed it as well and then left.

I entered through the final set of doors and into what appeared to be courtyard. At first glance, I was unconcerned, but then I heard two sounds that nearly scared the shit out of me. The first was the familiar ringing of the radio static. The second…

…_oh dear god, the giggling._

(There's no way those are legit elementary school students.)

(Why would they be here at this time of day?)

I saw that there was some unidentifiable movement off in the darkness. I was paying too close attention to the movement far away, that I screamed and tripped backward when two grey children were illuminated by my flashlight. _They were carrying knives. _I crawled backwards, but they were advancing too quickly. I remember the stabbing pain I felt the last time I saw those creatures. (_Oh god_. _This can't happen again. I won't let it happen again.) _I gripped my stun gun tightly, and with tears nearly blinding my vision, I thrust my right arm forward. There was the sound of live electricity for a moment, and the first monster lay in front of me, dead. Its corpse blocked the movement of the second one. My mind cleared in the moment of time it bought me. I anticipated its stabbing lunge and dodged it. The sound of the stun gun electrocuting the second monster was slightly muted by radio static, but the thump of a second body hitting the floor was unmistakably clear.

I was shaking, still on my ass in the blindingly dark courtyard. My radio was still ringing. However, a strange feeling was racing through me.

_Laying in front of me, were two undisputable pieces of evidence that proved that these _things_ weren't unbeatable. That I could protect myself. _I could feel the beginnings of a psychotic smile appearing on my face. Tears were streaming down my face as I laughed. I wasn't going to die. I wasn't going to die.

_I wasn't going to die._

I could still hear the radio static coming from my backpack and the faraway giggling sounds of another child as I got up and dusted myself off. This time, however, I was going to be on the offensive. I stalked through the courtyard, moved past the tall bushes, and found the final grey child. It charged at me, as if trying to give my waist a hug, but I jumped back, and zapped it before it could recover. Like the previous two, it collapsed on the ground. It twitched a little, but I stomped it, and it stopped moving. My radio stopped emitting static.

I could do this. _I could do this!_ I wasn't going to die.

After calming down, I decided to explore the courtyard. It was large, and the middle of it was paved. I could imagine legit children play there during recess. There were hedges nearby, and at one corner of the courtyard was a large clock tower. Near the bottom of the clock tower was a small door, and over the small door was a small, oval indent. The door was locked, which was odd since the door had no keyhole, but I ignored it.

Aside from the three dead bodies, the courtyard seemed normal, albeit a tad dark and silent.

I exited the courtyard through a set of double doors, opposite of the double doors I entered in. I was only slightly startled when my radio started ringing again. The giggling alerted me to the type of creature I was going to run into, and I zapped the first child with ease. It fell to the ground, twitching. I moved to zap the second one, but for some reason, my stun gun stopped working. I hadn't moved my right arm nearly fast enough to consider it a punch. I tried to move away from the grey child, but I wasn't quick enough, and its knife swiped against my arm as I moved it back. I cringed at the sharp stinging sensation as my right arm was sliced open, and I nearly dropped my stun gun in pain. I turned tail and ran.

I ran through the school blindly, opening some doors, unlocking others, but mostly kicking jammed doors in frustration. There were more grey children lunging at me, but I was too angry or too crazy to pay much attention other than dodging them. I cradled my right arm during this entire exercise, and I finally entered a room that was enemy free. I glanced down at the laceration on my right arm. It was superficial, but blood had already dripped onto my torn blouse and cardigan. It didn't look like it was going to stop. I set my backpack to the floor, and dug around before I pulled out a Health Drink and the first aid kit I found. I took of my blouse and cardigan, sterilized the wound with some rubbing alcohol, dabbed it with a little gauze, and wrapped my arm as best I could with some of the bandages. I re-dressed and chugged a third of the Health Drink.

Second order of business was figuring out what went wrong with my stun gun. I kept pressing the button, but it still wouldn't work. Damn! Would Charlie have given me a defective item? There's no way; he's way too protective. He must've tested it a lot before giving it to me, especially in a town with a drug trafficking problem.

(Although, drug trafficking is the least of this town's worries. Just saying.)

Think, Bella, think! Why would the stun gun go dead?

Dead? Maybe, just maybe… the battery died? Could that be why Charlie gave me four extra batteries?

After a few moments of examining the stun gun, I discovered the mechanism of changing the battery. I pressed the button, and to my delight, it lit up. I could smell the charged air. So, each battery only has 4 zaps? (And I just wasted one…)

Still, I didn't have time to mope. I had to move forward. I looked around the room I was in. It appeared to be a laboratory equipment room. Still, the shelf was oddly empty. There were only two bottles, and on each bottle's label was the printed word "Chemical". Well, that was helpful. Still, there was something handwritten underneath the print. Under the label on one bottle was "nitric acid" and on the other was "hydrochloric acid". I put both in my backpack. Perhaps I could throw them if I ran out of stun gun bullets?

I left the room, and returned to the hallway. Where should I go now? I've found no clue of Billy or Jacob Black so far in the school, and they were my sole reasons for coming here. Still, I haven't seen the whole school yet. Billy might not be in his wheelchair. Who's to say he wasn't tied up somewhere here, by the same freak who wrote in children's books with blood?

In fact, if I were a crazy person, where would I hide a middle aged, paraplegic Quileute man?

(_Underneath the clock tower._)

It wasn't that outrageous a thought, all things considering. He'd be too big to fit in a locker, and I, er, _a crazy person_ wouldn't hide him in a regular locked room because _that'd be normal._

But the door to the clock tower was locked (which supported my theory). How would I get in? Perhaps I needed a key? But there was no keyhole! Maybe the indent above the door was the locking mechanism?

I had to find something that could fit in that indent. Yes, that's what I would do. There was a purpose to what I was doing. I was not crazy.

I entered the first unchecked room. It seemed innocuous at first, but then my flashlight illuminated something.

I screamed.

Up, on the blacktop of a chemistry room table, was a severed hand. The hand looked old and withered, and there was no blood seeping from the… amputated portion… but the flesh still seemed redder than what I would normally associate with an old relic.

(There's the slight chance that it's a plastic hand like a Halloween prop, but with what I have seen so far in this place… Let's just say that the implications hit me hard enough that I was reminded I had ramen for lunch.)

Was this done by the same lunatic who wrote in blood?

_Oh god. This wasn't Billy's hand, was it?_ I started hyperventilating.

After a few moments of hyperventilation, I tried to calm down and look at the situation objectively. Think, Bella, think. I stared at the hand. It was grotesque, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from it. It was then I realized something. I could be having a racist moment, but the color of the skin was way too pale for it to have belonged to a Quileute. I clung to this thought with all of my faith, and the idea that it _just_ _couldn't_ be Billy's hand helped me calm down a long ways. It was then I noticed that the hand was holding something. I inched my way closer.

What if it jumped out and attacked me? _Oh god, the hand just twitched. _ I whimpered.

When I was close enough to it, I saw that it was holding an oval shaped emblem with a silver crest on it. Eying it, the emblem was just the correct shape and size for it to fit on the indentation above the small door at the base of the clock tower. I needed that emblem, but how should I get it?

I avoided thinking of the obvious solution. I looked around the room, but there was nothing like a pair of tongs. I realized I had no other choice but… to reach out and take it with my hands. Oh god.

I moved my hand closer towards it, terrified it would reach up and grab me. My fear wasn't manifested, however, when I finally made contact with it. Somehow, that made it worse.

(Well, one thing was confirmed. It wasn't a fake plastic hand.)

I poked it a couple of times, and it remained stationary. I still could not stop thinking it would reach out and grab me. Still, poking it wouldn't get the emblem out. I grabbed the hand with both hands, and tried to pry the fingers off, but it seemed to have a death grip.

What was I going to do now? I was out of ideas. However, as I sat down on a stool, I heard a clicking sound coming from my backpack.

That's right! I had acid in my backpack! (I completely forgot about it after the debacle with the hand.)

I pulled out one of the bottles. Hydrochloric acid was strong enough to burn through human flesh. I knew the hydrochloric acid was concentrated as just the scent of it was burning my nostrils. I poured some of it onto the hand, and, as expected, there was a tell-tale sizzling sound, and some smoke arose. However, after I poked the hand with a pen from my bag, I still couldn't get the thing to let go. Maybe I didn't pour enough hydrochloric acid? I pour the rest of bottle onto the hand, but it still had no effect.

I was getting frustrated. How the hell was that acid not strong enough to do anything? The smell of it was so strong that I started coughing! Hydrochloric acid that concentrated had to have done something!

Maybe hydrochloric acid wasn't the trick, then? Nitric acid was another strong, corrosive acid from what I remember from AP Chemistry back in Phoenix. Maybe it'd do the trick? I poured a little of it onto the hand as well. At first, nothing happened, but after a few seconds, the liquid on the hand turned a reddish-orange, and the hand started dissolving away in smoke. The smell was so strong and choking that I had to leave the area for a few moments. After the smell partially dispersed, I grabbed the emblem by the edge, careful of potential acid spilled onto it. The silver crest sparkled under my flashlight.

I held the emblem in my left hand and my stun gun in the right as I slowly made my way back to the clock tower in the courtyard. I went up the small steps leading up to the door, and I placed the emblem into the indentation. It fit perfectly, and above me, the clock started chiming. I pulled on the door.

It was still locked.

What? Why would it still be locked? I put the key in! Sighing in frustration, I looked up. The clock read "10:00". How odd, it couldn't really be ten o'clock already? It didn't feel like I've been here for that long, but who knew if this time was even right.

Still, ten o'clock? That felt really familiar. Didn't I read something about that previously? Yes! It was written in the bloody message. I made my way back to the reception area, killing all the demon children I met on the way. I found the books still on the counter as I left them and opened to the passages I was looking for.

As expected, the first one talked about ten o'clock. But more surprisingly, it talked about an old man's palm and King's water. How bizarre. The silver emblem was held by an old shriveled hand. And regarding King's water… thinking back to AP Chemistry, when hydrochloric acid and nitric acid were mixed together, they formed a substance called a_qua regia_, Latin for "royal water", which was capable of dissolving gold and platinum. Was that what the message was talking about? Did this mean these bloody messages weren't crazy bullshit written by a crazy person, but clues of what to do?

Maybe, maybe not. But they were right that the emblem would make the clock turn 10:00. Would the next message be correct too? It talked about "opening time's door", which sounded like there was something else I had to do to open the clock tower door. Bought what could it have meant by "bringing heat"?

* * *

After searching the school for about a half hour, I was still not closer to finding what the message meant by "bringing heat". In the meantime, I must have run around the school at least twice, searched all the nooks and crannies, and zapped all of the demon children to death. There was still no sign of Billy or Jacob. I was running low on stun gun batteries, and to be honest, it was worrisome.

I sighed.

My previous statement might not had been completely true. I didn't search every nook and cranny… just the ones on the ground and second level floor.

Yes, I saw the stairs leading down the basement, and I had no taken them. I was about to earlier, but something stopped me. It was the sensation I was being watched. Still, I had hit a dead end.

I walked down the stairs, and ran into two possible doors to enter. I tried the one on the left, and it turned out to be jammed, which drastically narrowed my possibilities. I went to the one on the right and entered.

The boiler room was grimy compared to the rest of the school. The floor was covered in a fine layer of dirt, and the walls looked like they hadn't been painted over in a while. My flashlight illuminated the two giant, metallic boilers. On its own, the room would not have been more intimidating than anything else I had seen in this place. But I still couldn't help but feel I was being watched.

I moved quickly to the boiler on the right, the one with the giant button. I pushed the button, and the boilers came to life. The sound of rattling from the boilers echoed off all the walls, which created a disconcerting sound. I turned to leave when the sound of shifting paper caught my attention. It was a letter. I wouldn't have paid it much attention, _except the letter was addressed to me._ With trembling hands, I picked it up and read:

**To Bella Swan:**

**This day has finally come.**

**That's right—the day when you and I officially met.**

**I was always thinking of you, h****ere in this gloomy town.**

**I never even knew your name or face until today.**

**But now I know.**

**Seeing you was like a man seeing a meteor,**

**You've blinded me to the stars. **

**I can't live in this darkness without you.**

**You're the one I've been hunting for.**

**And haven't you been hunting for me too?**

**Oh, I love you, Bella.**

**You are my forever.**

There was a signature at the bottom, but the words were smudged…

…

…

…

WHO WAS THIS PERSON? HOW DID HE/SHE/IT KNOW MY NAME? WHAT KIND OF A CREEP WOULD WRITE SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

…

…

…

Not going to lie, I dropped the letter faster than a hot potato and bolted out of the boiler room. I had to find Billy _and get the fuck out of here._

I ran, mind numb with fright, back to the courtyard. I looked up at the clock, and sure enough, the hands pointed at midnight. I walked up the small stairs and pulled on the door.

_It opened. The bloody message was right!_

I peaked my head inside, and instead of a cramped, unconscious Quileute man like I was expecting, I found a ladder going down. I peered my flashlight into the depths, but I couldn't see the bottom.

I was starting to hyperventilate again.

Billy was at the bottom of this hole, wasn't he? I started to climb down. The ladder was long and it was slightly wet for some unknown god forsaken reason. I nearly slipped off of it several times. When I finally reached the bottom, there was a little hole near the bottom wall, large enough to fit a person crawling through it. I bent over and looked. It was a small tunnel, leading to another ladder. I got onto my hands and knees and started to crawl.

The tunnel was a tight fit, and I could barely squeeze through. The walls trapped my arms, so I couldn't move them back far, and the tunnel was so narrow, I could barely move my legs. (_Oh god, oh god.) _I could have sworn I was stuck several times. What made the journey most terrifying wasn't the cramping of the tunnel giving me claustrophobia, but rather the sound of a far off air siren. (_Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. The last time I heard an air raid siren…)_

I wiggled through the tunnel as fast I could. I thought it would never be over. The second I was out, I leaped onto the ladder and climbed as fast as I could. The air raid siren was getting louder. _(The sound of metal against metal, the occupied gurney in the middle of the alleyway, the crucified corpse…)_

The ladder ended, and I was at the top, pushing through the little door, and stumbled down the steps. I landed, almost face first, in what looked like a courtyard with the siren blaring at full sound.

Wait a second; was I still in the school?

(_What the fuck._)

Suddenly, the siren stopped.

I walked forward and looked around. It definitely still looked like the school alright. That was odd. There wasn't another school built next to the elementary school.

I walked to the center of the courtyard and looked down.

There was a magic circle in the middle. It was huge, perhaps three yards in diameter, and it was drawn in blood. _What hell was this thing doing here? _My radio started ringing, and I saw two small grey figures advancing on me.

I gripped my stun gun tighter, readying myself for attack. I zapped the monsters to death, and I grimaced when I stomped them to death. After they died, I looked around, and I saw two sets of double doors, facing each other. I entered one and was unpleasantly surprised.

The spot of wall my flashlight illuminated looked old. It was also so dirty, it was brown. Also on the walls were streaks of what I assumed was rust. Sections of the walls looked bloody. But what was most frightening was the fact that there was no floor. The other school had a deceptively cheerful tile pattern. This school _had no floor_. Instead, it had a metal grating, which squeaked as I walked across it. The grating looked like the only thing preventing me from falling into the bottomless abyss below.

I looked up when my radio started emitting static. More demonic children were in the hall, and they advanced on me. As I only had one stun gun battery left, I ran.

* * *

Wandering around, I realized two things. First, this place had essentially the same structure as the other school. There were warped versions of classrooms where there were actual classrooms there. Second, there was still no sign of Billy or Jacob.

In despair, I had wandered up the stairs to the second floor of this other school. It was an odd experience since I had expected to be able to see the metal grating of the first floor through the second floor's grating, but I could not. Was that more or less frightening? I wandered around cautiously, scared the grating would break under my weight. I entered into a woman's bathroom. I didn't need to… er, void… anything, but I was getting desperate. It was late. I must have been here for _(days, months, years)_ hours, and where else could you hide a person? (The clock tower was a bust.) There were three stalls in the bathroom— two smaller stalls and one handicap stall. I could see into the two smaller stalls since their doors were partially open, and both of them were empty. I then walked to the larger one. It's door was closed, and I tried to open it with my foot. It was locked. How odd. Was there someone trapped inside? I knocked on it hard several times, hoping it would shake off the latch. All of a sudden, I could hear someone knocking back from inside the stall.

There was someone locked inside! "Hang on a second," I called out, "I'll try and get you out."

I heard a low, painful groan from inside the stall and what sounded like something falling into the toilet bowl with a splash.

Was someone actually using the toilet? (_Who would use a toilet here? There was grating on the floor and grime on the walls._)Maybe, I shouldn't be here? I walked away to resume my search of the Blacks, and right when I was about to walk out the door of the bathroom, I heard a creaking sound behind me. I turned around to see the door to the handicap stall was open.

I waited for someone to step out, but after a few moments of (_terrifying_) waiting, nobody appeared. I creeped cautiously to the stall, my hand gripped tightly on the stun gun. I entered the stall, and looked in the direction of the toilet.

_Oh my god._

There was nobody inside the stall. Instead, there was… blood… _blood_… everywhere! There was so much blood that the toilet was a bright red. There was blood smeared against the wall behind the toilet. There was blood dripping from the rim of the toilet and onto the metal grating below. There was so much blood that it was dripping into the abyss below. From my viewpoint, I could see the toilet bowl was filled with what looked like… mutilated flesh. The flesh was still twitching, forming ripples on the surface of the red water.

I bolted from that stall and from that bathroom, and, in my panic, ran face first into the wall facing the door of the bathroom. A little of the grime from the wall rubbed onto my lips, and I tasted excess calcium and iron. I dry heaved and coughed.

I looked around. I was in a hallway and was facing two bathrooms. One was the women's bathroom. I still hadn't checked the men's room.

I walked towards the male bathroom stiffly. My left arm gripped my right elbow tightly, and I was ready to run on a moment's notice. The male bathroom appeared nearly identical with the female bathroom, only mirrored and with a few urinals lining the walls. The stalls were closed, and I was not about to knock on any of them. I glanced underneath the cracks of the stall doors, and I couldn't see anything resembling a tied-up person.

I walked up to handicap stall. Its door was closed, _and then it started to creak open._ I stared in horror to what was directly in front of me.

_I've seen this before. Just a few seconds before I was killed by those children in the alleyway._

A crucified person was suspended in midair with barbed wire in front of me. It looked like it had all of its skin torn off, and each muscle fiber appeared brown against the fresh blood dripping from the lacerations all over its body. The arms were stretched as far apart as possible, and from what I could see of its face, the emotion was a painful grimace.

There were messages written in the stall behind the person. They all read the same thing.

_Run away, Bella!_

But I stood in front of the corpse, mesmerized. I think this place had officially broken what was left of my sanity because there was only one thing that held my attention. _The handgun lodged in the body's mouth. (_It looked like the person committed suicide by shooting his own brains out, and then some sicko strung him up in a bathroom stall to rot.)

Still, _there was a handgun._ You didn't think… someone would mind if I took it, did you?

With a crazy smile on my face, I reached forward for the gun. Even if the body came to life once I took it, I would at least have a gun to defend myself with. So, with more courage that I thought I still had, plucked it right out of thing.

Nothing happened.

I left the bathroom and returned to the hallway. I put my stun gun back into my backpack, held up my new gun, and pulled the trigger. Or rather, I tried to pull the trigger. I carefully maneuvered the gun in my hands. Oh, its safety was still on. (_How did that person in the bathroom stall commit suicide if the gun's safety was on?_) I undid the mechanism, held the gun up, and fired. The recoil made me stumble a little bit, and I couldn't see if I hit anything since my flashlight didn't illuminate that far, but I was so happy.

I had a gun, now. I could protect myself from a distance in this fucking mad house.

Wandered around some more, I realized some of the doors were locked and others were jammed. I went searching for keys, but I couldn't find any. I also still hadn't found any signs of Jacob or Billy.

…

…

…

I gave up. It was time to call it quits. I came to Midwich on a whim. On a hunch that papers from Billy said "To the school". I thought it seemed ridiculous that he meant Midwich Elementary. It was time to go to Silent Hill High.

I walked downstairs to where the front door was located in the other school. When I pulled on the double doors, however, they were locked. _They were locked!_

All right, Bella. Calm down. Stop panicking.

I returned to the courtyard, so I could go through the door and the claustrophobic tunnel to the other school. I walked past the giant magic circle drawn onto the pavement and to the clock tower. That door was locked too.

Too late.

I panicked.

* * *

After moving through the school aimlessly, I entered what my map labeled as "the library reserve". In reality, there was only empty book shelves lined up against the walls, and the center of the room was empty aside from a desk. Chains were hanging from the ceiling, and I weaved through them, as if in a dream.

(_More like a nightmare._)

I glanced at the desk in the center of the room. There was a book and a key on it. I looked at the label on the key. It read "Boiler Room". The book was also opened on the desk, and it read:

_CHAPTER 4_

_MANIFESTATIONS OF DELUSIONS_

_Poltergeists are among these. Negative emotions, like fear, worry, or stress, manifest into external energy with physical effects. Nightmares have been shown to trigger them in some cases. However, such phenomena doesn't appear to happen to just anyone. Although it's not clear way, adolescents, especially girls, are prone to such occurrences._

The chapter continued, but I wasn't interested in reading it. I decided to go the boiler room, mainly since there was nowhere else to go, and I had a key. On my way there, I started thinking…

Adolescent girls, huh? Was someone trying to tell me something?

(_But Jacob had seen them too. It's not just me._)

I was tempted to write this off as more cryptic bullshit, but the last bloody messages I attempted to write off as bullshit turned out to helpful, although still cryptic.

To be honest, prior to arriving at Silent Hill, I hadn't experienced anything truly stressful. Sure, my parents divorced, but nothing really stressed me out. I managed to avoid the drama of middle school by keeping to myself, and high school only provided school work stress. I worried about tests and little else.

(_I ran across another mutilated grey child. I walked up to it, shot it to death, and squished it under my heel.)_

When I arrived here, there was stress about living in a new place and meeting new people, but Charlie was accommodating, and all of the guys at school weren't bad. There was nothing that caused me fear or worry.

(_Edward Cullen._)

I arrived at what would have been the boiler room door in the other school and frowned at it. How odd. Why did I think of him all of a sudden? To channel my frustration into something more productive, I tried to open the door. As I suspected, it was locked. I unlocked it with my key and walked inside.

It was a large, dark room. The metal grating that provided me something to walk on only went a few feet forward before it stopped. There was a ladder at the end of walkway. I walked to the edge and looked down. I couldn't see the bottom. Still, I decided to go down the ladder anyways.

It wasn't like I had any other way to go.

After what felt like climbing down the ladder for a few minutes, I finally reached the bottom. My ladder actually stopped roughly 5 feet before it reached the floor, and I jumped off of it. I appeared to be in a ceiling-less room with actual cement on the ground. There were holes in the walls, but they were incredibly long, and my flashlight couldn't illuminate that far. I was about to enter one randomly when I heard it.

The sound of radio static and rattling chains.

I turned around. "Hello?" I asked into the cold darkness, although I was not truly expecting a response. The sounds of rattling chains appeared behind me.

I turned around again, and I saw what appeared to be giant, horse-sized worm behind me. It was incredibly long too, and it looked pinkish-grey when illuminated by my flashlight. Its head was shaped… well, like a man's penis, and it actually opened its mouth vertically and roared at me. The worm's breath smelled slightly sweet and salty.

It made a lunging motion at me, but I dodged it, and it slithered past me and into one of the holes. The rattling chains left with it, but my radio kept emitting static. I stared at the hole it left in.

I started to hear rattling behind me again and turned around. There it was again. Its vertical slit opened to roar at me, but this time I was ready, and I shot it three times in the mouth. My gun emitted an empty clicking noise, informing me that I was out of ammo, but the giant worm had already closed its blood-soaked mouth. (_With its mouth closed, it really looked like a man's penis passing blood._) It slithered past me, as if trying to knock me down, but it was slow, and I dodged it successfully despite tripping and falling onto the ground.

While it was gone, I reached into my backpack to get some of the handgun ammo. It turned out the ammunition I picked up in the alley way on Friday actually matched my gun.

Thank goodness for small mercies.

The worm showed up again, and I got up and ran away from it. I tried to climb up the ladder, but the bottom was too high up. Still, the worm was slow, and I managed to run circles around it. It snaked away, and I finally managed to get my gun reloaded.

The sound of rattling chains appeared behind me again, and I shot the worm several more times when it opened its vertical slit. All of a sudden, it made an unearthly shriek and folded in on itself. It fell to the ground, blood gushing from its head. My radio stopped emitting static. It appeared dead. The silence didn't last long, however, when another sound started.

It was an air siren.

All of a sudden, I started experiencing a mind-crushing headache. The pain was so sharp; it felt like my eyes were getting stabbed. I could feel the back of my head throbbing, and each tiny bit of movement made it feel like the veins in my head were constricting. I grabbed my hair and screamed. Tears started streaming down my eyes, and I remember feeling a falling sensation…

…

…

…

…

…

…The first thing I felt was a hard, cold sensation on the left side of my body. Something was scrapping against my cheek. My eyes opened slowly. I was lying on the ground. I tried to push myself onto my feet, and I was successful despite the feeling my body felt like lead. My head still was aching, and I clutched at my forehead, although the sensation was a dull pain now.

Looking around, I could see two gigantic boilers and dirty walls. It appeared to be the boiler room of the first school. I felt no sensation of being watched now, which I was thankful for.

My gun was lying on the ground, next to where I was. I bent over to pick it up and noticed there was an oddly shaped key next to it. I looked at the key. There was a weirdly drawn oval on the handle. I took it anyways and left the room.

It appeared I was in the first school I entered. The floor was an actual solid floor that had colorful tiles. There were blue and pink lockers lined up against the walls. The school was dark and quiet, but there was no sense of danger.

I walked to the entrance of the school and pushed the door open. My radio was silent, and there was no sign of dogs or pterodactyls. I walked about a block away from the school when I realized the darkness wasn't oppressive because there were street lights on. I decided it was safe enough to put my gun back into my backpack.

While the streets were quiet, it wasn't the dead-sort of silence I now recognized accompanied the weird nightmarish side of Silent Hill. I walked over to where my truck was and managed to get in and turn the engine on. _Oh thank god._

I drove home without incident. It only took a minute since I was a couple of blocks away from home. Killing the engine and walking up to the front door, I felt relief flood my system. _Home. Warmth. Safety. _That relief was destroyed when I opened the door, however.

Apparently, Charlie was home, and he had been waiting up for me.

"Bella, where have you been? It's ten o'clock!" Charlie asked with a stern frown on his face. I walked past him in the small hallway and looked at the clock sitting on top of the fireplace.

Well, would you look at that. Ten o'clock sharp. Now where have I seen that before?

"Bella!"

Oh, that's right, Charlie still wanted an answer. To be honest, I was so emotionally exhausted that I had no idea what to say to him.

"You weren't," Charlie took a breath here, "doing anything illegal, were you?"

Uhhh… I killed lots of demon children and a giant penis-shaped worm. I also fired a firearm that I didn't have a license for, but that was in self-defense.

"Um, no?"

Charlie snorted out his nose and closed his eyes.

"Bella, where were you?" He asked again.

Think, Bella!

"I was… uh… out exploring the town!" That answer wasn't actually a lie.

"Out exploring the town," Charlie repeated with a flat tone. He looked totally unimpressed.

"Um, yes. Specifically, the area near Midwich Elementary School. I fell over a few times. That's why I'm so covered in grime. Haha, clumsy me!"

All right, so maybe my delivery was a tad too cheerful and fake.

"Why Midwich? Why now? Why didn't you leave me a note? You know people are turning up missing, Bella!"

Oh my god. I just realized something. Charlie was giving me the third degree because he was worried! He worried because he cared. Renee… she never did anything like this.

I think that train of thought my have shown on my face, because Charlie was looking concerned at me now. I went up and hugged him.

"Thanks, Dad. Thank you for caring."

Charlie deflated. He reached his arms and hugged me back. "I was just really worried Bella. There have been so many people who have gone missing, and I couldn't bear it if you were next." His voice was so soft, I wouldn't have heard a word if he wasn't talking into my ear. I squeezed harder.

As Charlie moved to break the hug, he took a closer look at me and turned angry again.

"Bella, have you been shooting up PTV? Is that why you were out so late?"

What?

Charlie grabbed my right arm. I had bandaged it up after that grey child had sliced it open.

"If I were to unwrap these bandages, would I find track marks?"

That's right. There weren't just missing people's cases here, there was also a drug problem!

"No, Dad. You would not find track marks. I'm not doing drugs! I've only been here a week! And even if I was, you'd find track marks on my left arm since I'm so incredibly right-handed!"

I held up my unblemished left arm for him to see. Charlie still remained unconvinced. I sighed. Guilty until proven innocent today.

I started unwrapping the bandages on my right arm, and showed Charlie my right forearm.

"It's an old knife wound. Also, before you accuse me of being suicidal, let me tell you I got this wound a week and a half ago when I was trying to open one of Mom's packages with a box cutter."

I remembered that Health Drinks made the wounds appear much older than they actually were. It did so with my ankle. (Was it bad I was getting good at lying to my father?)

"Then why is your sleeve torn and bloody?"

"Uh, it's torn because it got caught in the door of my truck. I'm not sure why it's bloody. I did trip and fall a few times, so maybe there was blood on the ground?"

Charlie continued staring at me.

"Dad, if I really cut myself, wouldn't you see a new wound?"

He couldn't argue against that one, and now he just looked sad.

"I just decided to go exploring today, Dad. I didn't anticipate I would get home this late. I'm sorry."

I felt really bad lying to him. Charlie was angry because he cared. But if I told him the truth, he'd be convinced I was on drugs. Or rather, be more convinced than he already was.

Charlie sighed, but he seemed to believe me.

"All right, then, Bella. But tell me next time, all right?"

That I couldn't promise. There was nothing I knew of that could warn me 24 hours in advance when Silent Hill decided to go crazy.

"I'll do my best, Charlie, but I'm kind of forgetful. You know, being Renee's daughter and all."

He smiled sadly at that, and for the first time, a moment of uneasy silence passed between the two of us.

A though occurred to me. "What did you say I was abusing earlier? PTV? What's that?"

His smile grew happier, for some odd reason. "It's the official name for the hallucinogen White Claudia gets made into. White Claudia is actually the name of the plant, not the drug itself, but most everyone here calls it White Claudia."

"It can be shot up? I thought it was only smoked."

"White Claudia can be shot up, smoked, and snorted. It's a flexible drug."

We both snorted at the same time, and then looked at each other in shock.

"Well, looks like you're just as much my child as you are Renee's."

"That's what she would say too."

He smiled at me. It was the first genuine one tonight.

"Why don't you go upstairs and get cleaned up. I'll go and get us something to eat."

I was shocked. "You haven't eaten yet?"

"No, I was waiting for you."

Renee had never done anything like that. She had always eaten without me if I came home late.

I went upstairs and showered. The water was so hot, it was almost scalding. I stood under the shower for what felt like a lifetime. It felt good getting the grime off of me. After I dressed in fresh clothes, I went back downstairs, and Charlie… no, I shouldn't call him that, he deserved better… _Dad_ had gotten delivery from Blue Catfish diner. We sat down to eat, and despite the lies I've told today, I didn't think I've ever felt as close to a parent as I did at that moment.

After we finished eating, I went to bed and Charlie went to catch up on work. I fell asleep quickly. I was completely exhausted. That didn't stop my nightmare filled with magic circles, severed hands, and bloody toilets, though.

* * *

The next morning, I opened my eyes to near darkness. There was barely any light since it was incredibly overcast and early. Getting up was super difficult after my incredibly stressful evening yesterday, to put it mildly. Still, I looked out the window, and I noticed that there was no fog outside. How weird, no fog in Silent Hill?

I took a shower and packed my backpack. I pondered if it would be a good idea to take an unregistered handgun to school. Yeah, that wouldn't go over well if I were found out. However, going anywhere unarmed in Silent Hill seemed like a suicidal idea now. I decided to take the handgun, but leave it in the car.

My stun gun only had one battery left. I needed to get another weapon. Perhaps a melee weapon would be good since it wouldn't need ammunition?

I went downstairs, and Charl—I meant, _Dad_ had already left for work. I felt a tad lonely. I wanted to at least wish him a good day. I quickly grabbed a bowl of cereal and some orange juice from the cartoon. To kill two birds with one stone, I poured the orange juice in the cereal. It actually tasted… gross at first, but not that bad once I had gotten used to the taste.

I opened the front door, and noticed that there was ice on the roads. It looked like all the snow from yesterday melted and froze over again. Great. It would be embarrassing to survive monsters and then get killed by black ice. I was getting into the car when I noticed something reflect light. I took a closer look. There were snow chains on my tires.

Oh Dad. You must have woken up early to put them on. Thank you.

I got into the truck and turned the key in the ignition. The engine came to life. Thank goodness. Driving to school, I opened one of the windows and welcomed the blast of cold air into the cab. Going down Bachman Road, I could see the waves crashing against the shoreline. It looked dangerous and beautiful.

I turned onto the school parking lot and immediately noticed a Volvo. Huh. It must be Edward Cullen's.

Thinking Edward Cullen's name brought up an odd mixture of emotions in me. On one hand, I was flattered and embarrassed that such a gorgeous guy was talking to me. Sure, we were just lab partners, but in Phoenix, nobody higher on the social food chain talked to me. (Although, now that I thought about it, a lot of the students here were really nice to me even though they didn't have to be. It was really odd.) But on the other hand, there was something _frightening_ about Edward Cullen. He made me nervous and not in the good way, and I just couldn't shake off this feeling that…

I got out of the car, still deep in thought, when I heard a curious noise.

It was a high sounding squeak. It sounded unlike anything I have heard previously in Silent Hill (which was saying a lot), and at first I couldn't place it. But it sounded like… car brakes.

I looked up and saw a van heading straight at me, sliding on black ice.

* * *

Public Service Announcement: In this chapter, Bella poured and almost touched strong acid without any safety equipment. However, dear readers, if you were to handle any type of acid of any concentration, please wear at least gloves and goggles prior to handling. Thank you!

A/N 1: I apologize for following so closely with Silent Hill 1's plot so far. Now that we're out of the elementary school, however things will start diverging.

A/N 2: Also, contrary to what has been shown so far, heavy amounts of snowfall is not related to the "turning of worlds", so to speak. That's just been a coincidence.

A/N 3: Remember the oddly shaped key. It'll come into play in the very far-off future.


End file.
